TRINITY  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
DURHAM,  N.C. 


The  Gift  of  


A- 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST: 


OR 


BIBLE-SIGNS 


OF 


THE   LORD'S  PEOPLE. 


BY  ELDER  JOHN  M.  WATSON. 


XASHTILIE; 

1855. 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/oldbaptisttest01wats 


9y io.-'^o  (o . 


CONTENTS. 


THE  OLD  BAPnST  TEST;  OP.  BIBLE  SIG:nS  OE  THE  LOED'S  PEOPLE.       PAGE  6 
A  EEEUTATIOX  OE  THE  MAMCHAEQ-PAEKEEITE  HEKEST: 

Fibs?  Past,  ..>9 
^'     .  .  -        •  SscosB  Past,    «  107 

THE  PEESE5T  STATE  OE  THE  OLD  BAPTLST  inXISTEY.         '  \if 

■  t 

PEACTICAL  GOIiLIXESS,  .     .  .      .     \  •        "'  Tib 

HEAYEX,  '  •       •  20^  "' 


164242 


PREFACE. 


This  book  has  been  written  with  but  little  expectation  of 
its  being  read  and  approved  by  any,  except  the  old  order  of 
Baptists.    They  will  perceive  that  it  has  been  published  ac- 
cording to  the  following  commandments  :    'Comfort  ye,  com- 
fort ye  my  people ;'  'Feed  the  Church  of  God;'  'Feed  my 
sheep,  feed  my  lambs.' 

There  are  many  religionists  who  avoid  reading  all  such 
works  just  as  they  do  their  bibles.  Being  irreconciled  to  bib- 
lical truths,  they  eschew  all  faithful  expositions  of  them. 

Nearly  the  whole  Protestant  world  has  become  weary  of 
Calvanism  ! — tired  of  an  ancient  creed,  which  religious  pro- 
gression, under  natural  lights,  will  not  admit.  The  great 
truths  by  which  it  has  been  so  ably  maintained  heretofore 
have,  of  late  years,  been  suppressed  or  perverted  to  such  an 
extent,  that  but  fev>  derive  any  strength  or  comfort  from  them. 

A  milder  theology  than  that  of  the  Bible  would  doubtless  be 
better  adapted  to  the  religious  taste  of  the  present  day ;  for 
great  efforts  are  nov/  making  throughout  Christendom  to  re- 
duce revealed  truths — regardless  of  their  divine  origin,  infinite 
scope  and  spiritual  import — to  a  level  with  the  lights  of  pure 
reason;  and  to  restrict  them  to  the  fallible  decision  of  human 
wisdom,  judgment  and  opinion.  , 

The  design  aud  tendency  of  this  scheme  is,  to  exclude  the 
'demonstration  of  the  Spirit,'  by  which  a  spiritual  knowledge  of 
divine  truths  alone  can  be  acquired;  and  also  to  set  aside  'the 
faith  of  God's  elect,'  by  which  alone  they  can  be  spiritually  ac 


^1 


PREFACE. 


knowledged  and  received.  When  both  of  these  are  thus  ig- 
nored, man's  wisdom  in  relation  to  divine  things  becomes 
foolishness,  his  judgment  heresy,  and  his  opinion  infidelity ! 
While  the  modifications  of  scriptural  truths,  resulting  from 
such  a  course,  may  be  highly  approved  by  many,  and  fondly 
embraced  by  others,  as  the  rule  of  their  faith  and  practice, 
there  are  a  few  who  desire  'the  sincere  milk  of  the  Word,' 
and  have  a  relish  for  the  'strong  meat'  of  the  Gospel.  To 
them  this  work  is  most  affectionately  and  prayfully  submitted, 
hoping  that  it  may  under  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  subserve, 
in-some  degree,  their  spiritual  interest.  "  '■" ^  * 

The  propriety  of  giving  a  faithful  exposition  of  some  re- 
vealed truths,  at  present  out  of  religious  favor,  must  be  appar- 
ent to  them,  however  disregarded  such  an  interpretation  may 
be  by  all  others.       «    ;      •  •  .    ■  •  • 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


The  proposition  is  to  adduce  the  Bible-signs  of  the  Lord's 
people,  then  prove  their  applicability  to  the  old  order  of  Baptists. 
This  will  constitute  the  test  by  which  their  religious  claims 
may  be  bibhcally  tried.  The.  Bible  is  the  divine  standard  to 
which  they  have  ever  appealed  with  great  confidence.  This 
may  indeed  seem  strange  to  those  who  have  been  judging  them 
by  other  lights  than  those  of  the  Bible.  If  any  denomination 
of  Christians  has  to  rely  on  the  Holy  Scriptures,  by  vrhich  to 
prove  themselves  the  people  of  God.  this  one  certainly  has. 
They  are  comparatively  few  in  number,  and  much  opposed 
'by  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,'  by  many  'mighty'  and 
many 'noble",  for  propagating  and  defending  their  unpopular 
tenets — called  heretofore,  as  well  as  at  present,  'hard  sayings' 
—yet  they  contend  for  them  no  less  earnestly  on  that  account. 
The  history  of  the  early  propagation  and  defence  of  revealed 
truths  teaches  them,  that  a  faithful  declaration  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Apostles  will  necessarily  engender  opposition 
from  such  sources. 

If  the  truths  contended  for  by  the  old  order  of  Baptists  be 
plainly  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  such  divine  truths 
should  be  more  respected  and  accredited  by  all  who  profess  to 
make  the  Bible  their  rule  of  faith  and  practice;  nor,  verily, 
should  they  be  less  regarded  merely  because  only  a  relative 


B  ,'     ^  TOE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

few  contend  for  them.  By  so  doing  we  would  conflict  both 
with  sacred  history  and  divine  prophecy.  Mat.  vii,  14  :  xx,  16= 
Lu.  xiii,23.  The  human  mind,  with  all  its  high  endowments, 
is  superseded  here.  Unaided  by  divine  illumination,  how 
dare  men  speak  about  the  deep  eternal  things  which  apper- 
tain so  strangely  and  mysteriously  to  the  people  of  God?  Whoj 
I  ask,  apart  from  divine  revelation,  could  have  known  the 
mind  of  God  concerning  his  people  'before  the  world  began?' 
Or  in  what  manner  were  they  personally  chosen  and  blessed 
with  'all  spiritual  blessings  in  Christ  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world?'  Or  the  wonderful  results,  in  time,  of  such  a  divine 
arrangement  before  time? 

The  history  of  the  people  of  God  begins,  undeniably,  'before 
the  world  began;'  in  other  words,  'before  the  foundation'  of 
the  world,  and  comes  up,  most  sublimely,  'from  everlasting.^ 
Eph.  i,  1.  1  Pe.  i,  2.  Rom.  viii,  29,30.  2  Tim.  i,  9.  Jer. 
xxxi,  S.  Scriptural  lights  extend  far  back  before  the  world's 
beginning.  By  these  strong  and  far-extending  lights  we  ob- 
tain a  most  wonderful  account  of  the  Lord's  people. 

It  has  been  said  by  one,  that  eternity  has  no  eras ;  to 
which  I  object,  only  in  part,  for,  in  one  sense,  it  has  none  ; 
but  in  another  it  has.  When  considered  in  regard  to  God, 
we  have  infinitude  in  relation  to  infinity ;  but  in  its  reference 
to  finiteness,  it  may  be  said  to  have  particular  eras,  as  all 
finite  things  in  se  have  a  beginning,  a  developement,  and  a 
final  state.  Time,  in  regard  to  eternity,  is  like  the  diverging 
of  a  small  stream  from  the  great  ocean,  which,  after  running 
a  long  course,  again  discharges  itself  into  the  same  fountain. 
So  it  is  with  time  and  finite  beings — one  is  a  mere  diver- 
gance  of  eternity  and  the  other  only  a  manifestation  of  the 
'eternal  purpose,'  or  counsel  of  the  divine  will  from  which 
all  things  take  their  rise,  shape  and  destiny!  The  Mind  that 
comprehends  the  affairs  of  eternity  is  certainly  capable  of  ta- 
king into  minute  and  sub-minute  account  all  the  great  and 
small  events  of  time.  Were  a  sparrow  to  fall,  or  a  grain  of 
dust  to  settle,  without  his  knowledge,  such  events  would  be 


THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST.  ^;  B 

the  most  remarkable  of  any  \vhich  have  occnrred  in  ^^is 
world;  they  v/ould  constitute  a.n  era  in  eternity  itself— an 
epoch  in  the  decline  of  God's  knowledge,  power,  and  provi- 
dence, from  v:hich  might  be  dated  the  origin  of  divine  uncer- 
tainty, and  of  a  contingent  future! 

God's  foreknowledge  is  commensurate  with  eternity,  and  his 
eternal  purpose,  in  relation  to  all  things,  has  gone  the  whole 
length  and  breadth  thereof,  so  to  speak.  With  God,  time  has 
no  beginning  or  end.  Time,  in  its  relation  to  the  world,  had 
a  beginning,  and  will  have  an  end.  Created  things  have  a 
beginning  iji  se  and  vdll  have  an  end,  or  change  of  state,  in 
themselves,  but  none  of  these  things  are  so  v\-ith  God. 

The  history  of  'God's  elect'  could  n'lt  begin  before  time,  in 
scriptural  language,  'before  the  world  began,'  were  there  no 
events  of  eternity  in  regard  to  them  to  relate.  But  there  is  a 
series  of  transactions  toward  them  on  the  part  of  God,  before 
the  world  began,  plainly  revealed  in  the  holy  scriptures: 

1.  They  were  chosen  in  Christ  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world.    Eph.  i,  4. 

2.  They  v.'ere  blessed  with  all  spiritual  blessings  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world.    Eph.  i.  3,  4. 

3.  God  gave  them  grace  in  Christ  before  the  vrorld  began. 
2Tim.  i,  9. 

4.  They  were  chosen  unto  salvation  from  the  beginning.  2 
Thess.  ii,  13. 

5.  They  were  ordained  unto  eternal  life.    Ac.  xiii,  4S. 

6.  They  v^'ere  predestinated  unto  the  adoption  of  children. 
Eph.  i,  5. 

7.  According  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  they  were  pre- 
destinated to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son.  Rom. 
viii,  80. 

8.  Before  the  world,  God  ordained  the  hidden  wisdom  for 
their  glory,  contradistinguished  from  the  wisdom  of  the  vrorld. 
1  Cor.  ii,  7. 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


■  ^  9.  Their  election  was  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God, 
the  Father.    1  Pe.  i,  2. 

10.  God  foreknew  them,    Rom.  viii,  30. 

11.  God  loved  them  with  an  everlasting  love.    Jer.  xxxi, 

3. 

12.  Good  works  were  ordained  of  God  for  them  to  walk  in. 
Eph.  ii,  10. 

Neither 'the  disputer  of  this  world,'  nor  Arminian  objector, 
can  admit  the  authority  of  the  Bible,  and  then  deny  that  God 
did  act  thus  toward  his  chosen  people  'before  the  world  began.' 
These  are  distinct  acts,  and  as  plainly  revealed  as  any  per- 
formed toward  his  people  since  the  world  began.  Besides, 
they  are  conceivable  acts,  numerical  ones,  having  names- 
signifying  their  peculiarities,  and  are  expressed  in  plain  lan- 
guage. The  mystery  is  not  in  the  modes  of  expression,  but 
in  the  acts  themselves.  The  word  God  is  a  plain  and  familiar 
one,  and  Christians  know  our  finite  conceptions  of  it,  but 
God,  himself,  is  and  will  be  an  eternal  mystery  to  all  other 
beings.  So  with  regard  to  the  expression,  that  grace  was 
given  to  the  elect  of  God 'before  the  world  began.'  We  know 
the  import  of  the  words,  but  the  act  itself  is  too  profound  for 
our  limited  comprehension;  and  yet,  that  does  not  make  the 
declaration  any  the  less  true.  Shall  we  say  there  is  no  God, 
because  we  cannot  comprehend  Him?  And  shall  we  contend 
that  grace  was  not  given  personally  to  the  Lord's  people  before 
the  world  began?  Or,  that  they  were  not  chosen  in  Christ 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  because  these  and  similar 
acts  of  his  are  to  us,  in  some  respects,  incomprehensible  or  ob- 
jectionable? These  sublime  acts  of  eternity  have  an  exclu- 
sive reference  to  the  'elect  of  God,'  called  in  the  holy  scripture 
the  people  of  God,  who  were  'from  everlasting'  contradistin- 
guished from  all  others,  not  in  se,  but  in  the  divine  prescience; 
and  were  ordained,  prospectively,  the  subjects  of  grace  in 
time,  and  of  glory  in  eternity.  From  all  of  which,  personal 
and  unconditional  election  is  not  to  be  merely  inferred,  but 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  M 

is  clearly  expressed  in  the  words.  'Whom  He  did  predestinate, 
THE3I  He  also  called.'  In  the  ordering  of  the  everlasting  cov- 
enant, certain  things  were  given  to  them  in  Christ,  which  they 
receive  in  time,  which,  when  received,  constitute  the  Bible- 
signs  of  the  Lord's  people.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  offer  any 
others,  denominational  or  otherwise,  but  will  confine  mj^self 
to  them  and  to  them  alone.  These  scriptural  tests  may  be  ap- 
propriately resolved  into  three  varieties:  Doctrinal,  Experi- 
mental, and  Practical,  which  order  I  shall  adopt. 

L  Doctrinal. —  How  sublime  the  consideration  that  God 
performs  acts  of  grace  and  mercy  towards  his  people,  iii  time, 
in  strict  conformity  to  those  done  in  eternity,  'before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world!' 

The  Bible-test  of  having  been  ordained  to  eternal  life  is  'be- 
lieving.   Ac.  xiii,  4S. 

The  scriptural  proof  of  having  been  loved  'with  an  ever-, 
lasting  love,'  is  that  of  being  drawn  to  the  Lord  -'with  loving 
kindness.'    Jer.  xxxi,  3. 

The  sign  of  having  been  elected/ro?n  the  beginning,  becomes 
manifest  in  the  following  way,  according  to  Paul :  Knowing, 
brethren  beloved,  your  election  of  God.  'For  our  gospel  came 
not  unto  you  in  word  only,  but  also  in  power,  and  in  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost,  and  in  much  assurance.'    1  Thess,  i,  4. 

The  indication  of  having  been  predestinated  to  be  conform- 
ed to  the  image  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  that  of  being  called. 
Rom.  viii,  80.  The  evidence  of  grace  having  been  given  be- 
fore  the  world  began,  is  that  of  being  called  icith  a  holy  calling. 
2  Tim.  i,  9.  The  sign  of  having  been  blessed  with  all  spirit- 
ual blessings  in  Christ  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  becomes 
apparent  when  any  of  those  blessings  are  received  from  him; 
such  as  a  spiritual  quickening — a  sanctification  of  the  spirit — 
the  new  birth — the  faith  of  God's  elect,  etc.  £ph,  ii,  1.  2 
Thess.  ii,  33. 

The  assurance  of  having  been  given  to  Christ  by  the  Fath- 


12  THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

er  is  given  when  the  subject  is  drawn  by  Christ  to  himself. 
Who  says,  All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  unto  me  ? 

By  the  foregoing  we  may  readily  perceive,  that  they  who 
were  chosen  in  Christ  before  the  world  began,  are  identically 
the  same  who  are  called  and  regenerated  in  time,  and  after- 
wards evidence  the  same  by  doing  those  good  works  which 
God  ordained  for  them. 

Again,  Christ  says,  'Other  sheep  I  have  which  are  not 
this  fold,  them  I  must  also  bring.'  John  x,  18.  So,  when  the 
Gentile  is  brought^  even  in  the  present  day,  it  constitutes  an 
undeniable  sign  of  his  being  one  of  the  other  sheep,  of  whom 
Christ  spoke.  Thus  our  quickening,  washing  of  regenerationj 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  being  born  again,  etc.,  etc.,  are 
true  evidences  of  having  been  blessed  with  all  Spiritual  bless- 
ings in  Christ,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

It  may  be  asked.  How  could  the  Lord  elect  and  bless  his 
people  in  Christ,  before  the  world  began,  and  of  course  before 
they  could  have  any  existence  in  se?  The  holy  scriptures 
teach  us  plainly  how  this  was  done,  in  the  ensuing  texts  :  God 
^calleth  those  things,  which  be  not,  as- though  they  were.'  'De- 
claring the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  from  ancient  times 
the  things  that  are  not  yet  done.'    Rom.  iv,  17  :  Isa.  xlvi,  10. 

These  are  very  instructive  texts,  which  bring  this  mysteri- 
ous subject,  in  some  degree,  within  our  comprehension.  They, 
by  no  means,  have  received  that  consideration  which  they 
merit.  If  God  can  call  np  things,  which  be  not,  as  though 
they  were,  from  the  remotest  depths  of  eternity,  and  declare 
the  end  from  the  beginning,  he  surely  could  act  in  relation  to 
them  in  all  other  respects.  According  to  this  divine  mode  of 
procedure,  all  is  plain  and  satisfactory.  David  gives  us  an 
example  of  this.  He  says:  'In  thy  book  all  my  members  were 
written,  which  in  continuance  were  fashioned,  when  as  yet 
there  was  none  of  them.'  Ps.  cxxxix,  16.  Thus  did  God 
elect,  love,  ordain  and  predestinate  them  whom  He  fore- 
new  in  eternity  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son,  to  be 
called  and  justified  in  time,  and  after  time  is  concluded,  to  be 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.        *"  ^ 

glorified,  while  tliey  were  passive  nonentities  in  se,  vAien  as 
yet  there  were  none  of  them,  only  as  they  vv'ere  entertained 
in  the  divine  mind.  Consonant  with  this  divine  plan,  the 
mind  of  the  evangelist  was  lighted  up  Vv'ith  a  holy  prospective 
foresight,  when  he  beheld  'the  Lamb,  the  bride's  wife,  adorned 
as  a  bride  for  her  husband.'  Rev.  xxi,  3,  9.  Here  we  have 
a  prophetic  vision,  v/hich  extends  through  many  centuries, 
and  goes  beyond  the  world's  present  state,  and  em^braces  a 
distinct  object  that  does  not  exist  in  itself,  and  yet  wa.s  seen 
distinctly  by  the  Apostle.  All  of  which  will  actually  come  in 
continuance  of  what  John  foresaw.  Christ  is  represented  as  a 
Lamb,  'slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,'  and  yet  that 
event  did  not  occur  until  four  thousand  years  afterwards  !  In 
that  way  the  Lord  arranged  and  spoke  of  things  that  were 
not,  as  though  they  were.  lience,  Parkerites  even  suppose, 
greatly  to  the  shame  and  distress  of  their  brethren,  that  all 
such  things  did  actually  exist  in  themselves  ;  and  also  w^hat 
John  and  others  foresaw,  concerning  the  Church  in  her  glori- 
fied state,  was  then  actually  so.  We  might  as  well  contend 
that  what  Paul  saw  and  recorded  concerning  antichrist  were 
then  existing  actualities,  and  not  things  iv/iich  were  not  then  in 
existence.    I  have  digressed  far  enough. 

It  is  said  by  Dr.  Manton  that  "Pelagius  at  first  gave  all  to 
nature,  acknowledged  no  necessity  of  divine  grace:  but  when 
this  doctrine  found  little  countenance  he  called  nature  by  the 
name  of  grace;  and  when  that  deceit  was  discovered,  he  ac- 
knowledged no  other  grace  but  outward  instruction,  or  the 
benefit  of  external  revelation,  to  discourse,  and  put  men  in 
mind  of  their  dut3^  Being  yet  driven  farther,  he  acknowledg- 
ed the  grace  of  pardon,  and  before  a  man  could  do  any  thing- 
acceptably,  there  was  a  necessity  of  a  remission  of  sin,  and 
then  he  might  obey  God  perfectly.  But  that  not  sufficing,  he 
acknowledged  another  grace,  viz:  the  example  of  Christ, 
which  both  doth  secure  our  rule  and  encourage  our  practice. 
And  last  of  all  his  followers  owned  some  kind  of  internal 
grace,  but  they  made  that  to  consist  in  some  kind  of  internal 


14;  •       THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

illumination  of  the  understanding,  or  moral  persuasion,  by 
probable  arguments  to  excite  the  will,  and  this  not  absolute- 
ly necessary,  but  only  for  facilitation,  as  a  horse  to  a  journey, 
which  otherwise  a  man  might  go  on  foot.  Others  grant  the 
secret  influences  of  God's  grace,  but  make  the  will  of  man  a 
co-ordinate  cause  with  God's  grace,  namely,  that  God  doth  pro- 
pound the  object,  hold  forth  inducing  considerations;  give  some 
remote  power  and  assistance;  but  still  there  is  an  indifferency 
in  the  will  of  man,  to  accept  or  refuse  as  liketh  him  best."  In 
this  quotation,  we  have  representations  of  Arminianism  from 
its  grossest  and  most  absurd  form,  up  to  its  most  refined  and 
popular  modifications. 

As  all  Arminians  are  constrained  to  admit  some  grace  in 
their  respective  plans  of  salvation.  The  Apostle  says — 1  Cor. 
1,  30— that  Christ,  "Who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom  and 
righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption;  but  the 
Arminian  in  his  doctrine  says  that  Christ,  Who  of  free  will  or 
free  agency  is  made  unto  us  wisdom  &c.,  putting  the  agency 
of  the  human  will  just  where  the  Apostle  has  introduced  God 
Himself."  "So  then  it  is  not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him 
that  runneth,  but  of  God  that  showeth  mercy."  The  will  is 
as  thoroughly  changed  as  the  soul  itself  in  the  great  work  of 
grace ;  and  being  changed,  acts  in  holy  agreement  with  its 
renewed  state.  I  will  propose,  for  their  consideration,  a  few 
plain  questions  concerning  the  grace  of  God  by  Jesus  Christ, 
which  are  clearly  answered  by  the  Apostle  : 

1.  When  was  grace  given  to  sinners?  Paul  replies,  'before 
the  world  began.' 

2.  To  whom  was  grace  given?  Paul  answers  again,  'to  them 
whom  He  predestinated  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his 
Son,  to  be  called,  to  be  justified,  to  be  glorified.' 

3*  In  what  manner  was  grace  given?  The  Apostle  replies 
again,  'According  as  God  chose  them  in  Christ,  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world.' 

4.  How  does  grace  save?    The  scriptural  answer  i&,  'Not  by 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  '  J^- 

works  of  righteousness,  which  we  have  done,  but  according  to 
His  mercy;  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.' 

5.  In  what  manner  are  grace  and  good  works  related  to  each 
other?  Good  works  are  the  fruit  of  grace,  and  require  for  their 
performance  a  new  creatureship  in  Christ  Jesus.    Eph.  ii,  10. 

The  Arminian,  when  hard  pressed  by  the  foregoing  testimo- 
ny, acts  generally  like  an  advocate  who  has  to  sustain  a  bad 
cause  in  the  face  of  plain  and  respectable  testimony.  He  will 
not  attempt  directly  to  discredit  the  witness,  nor  admit  his 
pointed  declarations,  but  tries,  by  cross  examinations,  to  weak- 
en them.  Such  theologians  ask,  very  significantly,  if  Paul  did 
not  say,  'Work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling,' without  quoting  the  doctrinal  paj^t  of  the  text,  'For  it 
is  God  who  wwketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
pleasure.'  Again  they  ask,  is  it  not  plainly  said,  'Believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,'  irrespectively 
again  of  the  doctrine  of  faith,  v/hich  teaches  us  that  faith  is  the 
gift  of  God,  and  is  wrought  in  the  soul  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Then  an  appeal  is  made  to  some  obscure  texts,  about 
the  import  of  wdiich  writers  differ.  For  instance,  the  fol- 
lowing is  often  quoted  to  disprove  the  plain  signification  of  a 
hundred  others:  That  God  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved, 
and  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  Here  they  stop^ 
but  the  Apostle  did  not,  for  he  further  says:  That  supplications^ 
prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of  thanks  be  made  for  all 
men,  for  Kings,  and  for  all  that  are  in  authority,  that  we  may 
lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life,  in  all  godliness  and  honesty. 
For  this  is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour., 
The  different  orders  of  men  Fire  embraced  in  the  text,  and  not 
all  men  universally;  all  orders  of  men,  from  the  King  on  his 
throne  down  to  a  Lazarus  at  the  rich  man's  door. 

As  this  passage  of  scripture  is  so  often  misinterpi^eted,  some 
further  elucidation  of  it  may  not  be  amiss.  There  are  no  ex- 
ternal conditions  which  hinder  the  operation  of  saving  grace, 
let  the  subjects  thereof  be  either  Kings,  potentates,  men  of  au- 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST."' 


thority,  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  for  in  Christ  Jesus  none  of 
these  orders  avail  or  hinder  in  the  salvation  of  ail  such. 

An  Arminian  interpretation  of  this  and  similar  portions  of 
holy  scripture  would  only  represent  a  failure  in  the  divine 
will !  For  it  is  elsewhere  written,  that  Christians  were  'pre- 
destinated according  to  the  purpose  of  Him  who  worketh  all 
things  after  the  counsel  of  His  own  will.'  According  to  the  Ar- 
minian notion,  there  would  be  a  failure  in  both  the  predestina- 
tion  and  will  of  God  !  If  the  will  of  God  be  so  interpreted 
as  to  embrace  all  men,  instead  of  all  orders  of  men,  the  Uni- 
versalian  exposition  would  be  more  consistent  than  the  Armin- 
ian. 

The  religious  sophist  having  gained  as  much  as  possible  by 
cross  examinations  of  this  kind,  proceeds  to  make  out  his  false 
premises,  which  he  attempts  to  sustain  by  specia!  pleadings, 
which  are  addressed  with  great  earnestness  to  them  'who  are 
without,'  vv^hose  uncircumcised  ears  and  carnal  minds  are  her- 
metically sealed  against  doctrinal  truths,  and  from  them  a  fa 
vorable  judgment  is  elicited,  and  a  supposed  triumph  obtained. 
And  with  a  hermetic  seal  on  their  owm  hearts  against  the  spir- 
itual light  of  truth,  they  go  forth  'blind  leaders  of  the  blind,' 
tossed  to  and  fro  by  every  wind  of  doctrine ;  and  yet  are  not 
devoid  of  much  'cunning  craftiness,'  as  evinced  in  their  deceit- 
ful handling  of  the  word  of  God.  When  these  means  fai^ 
they  resort  to  another  cunning  subterfuge  ;  they  affect  great 
learning,  and  insinuate  that  the  true  meaning  of  the  original 
text  has  notbeen  fully  given  in  our  English  translation .  Stub- 
born Greek  is  then  made  to  bend  with  a  flexibility  which  adapts 
itself  to  the  whim,  opinion  or  tenet  of  the  translator.  Mod- 
ern theologians  have  ruined  the  Greek  language.  They  have 
strangely  pressed  it  into  the  service  of  many  heresies.  Well 
for  us  that  so  good  a  translation  was  given  before  the  signifi- 
cation of  Greek  works  become  so  heretically  pliant ! 

Divine  truth  has  never  been  agreeable  to  'uncircumcised 
ears,'  and  the  worst  forms  of  its  perversions  have,  in  conse- 
quence, occasionally  gained  great  secular  favor,  authority  and 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  .  ij 

re&peetability.  In  this  way,  were  it  possible, 'the  very  elect' 
would  be  deceived.  Here  we  have  anothe  Bible-sign  of  the 
'Lord's  people,  v.diicli  is  the  impossibility  of  their  beingdeceiv- 
ed,  in  the  foregoing  vray,  as  are  many  others.  Christ  has  set 
bounds  to  all  modes  of  deception,  and  well  indeed  it  is  for  his 
people  that  he  has.    Mat.  xxiv,  24. 

No  one,  I  presume,  will  contend  that  the  'elect  of  God'  are 
exempt,  in  this  world,  from  all  religious  errors  :  they  do  not. 
however,  embrace  such  tenets  as  are  subversive  of  the  funda- 
mental truths  of  Christianity — such  as  would  be  incompatible 
with  the  light  of  regeneration  and  the  witness  v.'ithin.  1  John.- 
V,  10.    Titus  i,  1.    1  Cor.  ii,  14. 

The  elect,  before  their  spiritual  birth,  have  no  personal  char- 
acteristic marks,  b}'  which  they  may  be  known  from,  others  :. 
yet  some  hidden  things  pertain  to  them  which,  though  not  per- 
ceived by  any  except  the  Lord  himself,  are  truly  worthy  of 
our  most  particular  consideration : 

1.  They  are  no  better  by  nature  than  others.  Epli.  ii,  3. 

2.  They  are  preserved  from  death  before  their  conversion. 
Jude  i,  1 , 

3.  ?\otone  of  them  ever  did  die  before  their  spiritual  birth  ; 
which,  in  one  sense  is  truly  remarkable,  in  view  of  the  many 

^outlets  of  human  life  in  this  world  of  sin  and  death.  Our 
surprise  becomes  greater  in  consideration  of  the  fact  that  r.ut 
of  the  'host'  that  no  man  can  number,  not  one  has  died  before 
being  'born  again.'  An  unseen  but  efiVctual  Providence  sus- 
tains and  perserves  them  until  they  are  regenerated.  Other- 
wise the  predestination  of  God  would  not  reach  the  'calling;' 
the  election  would  not  obtain  the  santification  of  the  Spirit; 
and  the  eternal  purpose  to  save  would  fail  !  Hereby  we  may 
perceive  their  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual  safety. 

4.  They  have  other  distinguishing  characteristics,  which  are 
set  forth  by  the  apostle:  The  hidden  'heirs  of  the  kingdom.' 
are  for  the  most  part  'poor,'  'not  many  wise  men  after  the 
flesh,'  'not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble.'  They  have  no- 
thing in  themselves,  or  in  this  world  of  which  to  boast. 

2 


18 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


-  5.  They  appertain  to  'all  nations  and  kindreds,  and  peo- 
ples, and  tongues.' 

6.  Even  in  their  natural  state  they  have  a  peculiar  union 
with  God,  his  election  inclades  them;  his  providence  embraces 
them;  and  his  love  secures  them.  Truly,  "his  great  love 
,  wherewith  he  loved  them,  even  when  chey  were  dead  in  sins.' 
Eph.  ii,  4.  This  union  is  of  course,  different  from  the  posi- 
tive, spiritual  union,  which  ensues  after  their  regeneration, 
The  general  condition  of  the  Lord's  people  in  this  world  is  not 
such  as  might  have  been  reasonably  inferred,  in  view  of 
the  wondrous  things  entertained  and  determined  in  the  divine 
mind  in  regard  to  them.  The  blessings  given  prospectively 
to  them  in  Christ,  were  spiritual,  not  temporal.  They  were 
not  such  as  would  make  them  'wise  men  aff^er  the  flesh,'  but 
wise  in  'the  hidden  wisdom,  which  God  ordained  before  the 
w^orld  unto  their  glory ;' — nor  such  as  would  render  them 
'mighty'  in  worldly  power  ;  but  mighty  in  the  might  and  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Nor  of  a  kind  to  constitute  them  'noble' 
by  family  descent ;  but  nob.le, by  a  ^pin'tifa/  birth.  Their  wis- 
dom, might,  and  nobility,  consist  of  such  things  as  are  lightly 
regarded  by  the  people  of  the  world — such  as  were  but  little 
esteemed  even  by  themselves  before  their  regeneration.  In 
their  state  of  unregeneracy,  they  are  no  better  than  others ; 
they  are  subjects  of  the  universal  depravity,  incurred  by  the 
disobedience  of  our  first  parents;  and  they  in  comnion  with 
others,  have  inherited  its  consequent  sin,  curse  and  death. 
Their  election  could  not  have  been  determined  by  any  foreseen 
works  religiously  good  :  for  their  natural  state  does  not  admit 
of  such  works.  Their  election  was  then  'According  to  the 
purpose  of  Him  who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of 
his  own  will.'  '  ''.  ' 

They  were  by  nature  children  of  wrath,  even  as  others. 
Gal.  ii,  3.    But  this  wrath  was  the  mere  displeasure  of  divine 
.  love;  for  so  displeased  was  the  Lord  with  their  natural  state 
and  works,  that  he  made  a  blessed  provision  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  for  a  radical  change  in  both.    When  these  spiritual 


THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


19 


blessings  are  imparted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  produce  a  new 
and  spiritual  state,  Avhich  is  truly  consonant  with  those  'good 
works  which  God  hath  before  ordained'  they  should  perform. 
Eph.  ii.  10.  Then  how  very  absurd  to  contend,  as  many  do. 
that  they  were  elected  on  account  of  a  better  natural  con- 
dition than  others,  or  for  any  foreseen  good  worlds.  The 
erring  Parkeiite  supposes  that  they  were  chosen  in  conse- 
quence of  an  undefined  something,  Vvdiich  appertains  exclu- 
sively to  them,  and  renders  them  in  se  ditFerent  from^  all  others, 
which  they  call  a  seed:  while  the  confident  Arminian  believes 
that  all  persons  have,  in  some  unexplained  way,  derived  a 
spark  of  grace,  vrhich.  if  improved,  determines  their  election 
of  God  !  This  shows  hov.'  these  extremes  meet  in  the  incon- 
sistencies of  their  error. 

It  may  be  asked,  with  significancy.  from  what  source  came 
their  marks  of  distinction  AYho  makes  them  'to  differ  from 
others  ?  Does  this  difference  arise  from  the  development  of 
•something  inherent  in  themselves,  or  do  they  receive  it  from 
some  other  source?  '\yhat,'  says  the  apostle,  'have  they, 
that  they  did  not  receive.'  1  Cor.  iv,  7.  All  the  spiritual 
changes  vrhich  are  wrought  on  the  subjects  of  divine  grace, 
and  all  the  spiritual  blessings  which  they  receive,  have  a  posi- 
tive tendency  to  exclude  all  manner  of  boasting.  In  that 
way,  a  strong  counter-current  to  Pharisaism  is  establish- 
ed, and  ever  afterwards  maintained.  This  is  a  clear  and 
positive  bible-sign  of  the  operation  of  grace,  mercy  and  truth. 

Having  deduced  from^  the  holy  Scriptures  some  of  the  doc- 
trinal signs  of  the  Lord's  people,  I  may  now,  in  conformxity 
with  a  previous  arrangement  of  the  subject,  treat  of  the 
second  variety : 

■     -    "  EXPEEDIZXTAL  TESTS. 

Experimental  religion  has  its  distinct  signs,  which  are  pro-' 
duced  by  the  r  ;   r  -  n  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  imparting  those 
spiritual  blessi:        .  ."en  to  the  elect  in  Christ.    A  holy  series 
of  effects  results  from  their  being  called  'v/ith  a  holy  calling,' 
from,  being  'quickened'  by  the  Holy  Spirit;  also  from  the  'gift' 


20 


THE  OLD  BAPTfST  ' TEST. 


of  repentance  and  faith,  and  afterwards,  from  being  kept  by 
the  power  of  God  in  the  way  of  holy  perseverance.  All  these, 
external  evidences  are  the  effects  of  the  operation  of  divine 
gracO;  which  become  obvious  in  a  hatred  of  sin;  in  a  sorrow 
for  sin;  in  the  fruits  of  repentance;  in  the  joy  of  faith,  and  in 
a  holiness  of  life.  The  Lord  Jesus  says,  'They  that  mourn,' 
they  who  are  'poor  in  spirit,'  'they  who  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness,'  are  blessed.  Mourning,  poverty  of  spirit, 
hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  are  spiritual  signs 
of  their  having  been  previously  blessed.  These  are  fruits 
brought  forth  'meet  for  repentance,'  and  are  indications  of 
spiritual  life.'  When  the  restraining  influence  of  the  divine 
precepts,  admonitions  and  warnings,  is  felt  in  the  heart,  it 
may  be  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  having  been  'quickened' 
by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  Love  of  the  brethren  constitutes 
an  inward  assurance  of  having  'passed  from  death  unto  life.' 
And  'he  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God  bath  the  witness  in 
himself  A  holy  'fear  and  trembling'  is  felt  when  the  Lord 
graciously  constrains  the  soul  both  'to  will  and  to  do.'  Per-  : 
severance  in  the  way  of  obedience  and  holiness  is  a  sign  of 
being  'kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation.' 
Chastisement  by  the  Lord  is  a  favorable  mark  of  distinction, 
especially  if  it  yield  'the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness.' 
The  internal  witness  of  a  constant  warfare  between  the  ^ncio 
man  who,  after  God,  is  created  in  righteousness  and  true 
holiness,'  and  the  ^old  man^  who  is  corrupt  according  to  the 
deceitful  lusts,'  affords  reliable  testimony  of  a  spiritual 
change,  4n  part'  at  least.  An  irreconciliation  between  these 
■two  natures,'  or  states,  is  constantly  felt  in  the  renewed  heart. 

.  'The  washing  of  regeneration'  and  the  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  do  not  change  the  'outer  man';  he  must  be  con- 
trolled by  the  influence  of  the  'new  man,'  by  admonitions, 
warnings,  and  threatenings;  when  these  bring  him  in  subjec- 
tion, we  have  another  indication  of  holiness  of  heart.  But 
when  these  seem-  to  fail,  and  another  law  or  power  is  felt 
through  the  ^outer  man,'  bringing  the  soul  under  the  appre- 


THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


hension  of  sin  and  death,  and  causing  it  to  cry  out,  Who  shall 
deliver  from  this  state  of  things?  the  mode  of  deliverance,  as 
then  apprehended  by  faith,  constitutes  the  Christian  test,  and 
may  be  expressed  in  the  words  of  the  apostle  Paul,  -I  thank 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' 

I  shall  nov/  close  this  part  of  niy  subject,  the  internal  evi- 
dences of  spiritual  life^  as  felt  and  experienced  by  true  be- 
lievers, and  treat  of 

PEACnCAL   TESTS  = 

These  become  apparent  by  doing  the  ^good  works  which 
God  hath  before  ordained,'  constituting,  when  done  from  a 
proper  principle,  the  obedience  of  faith.  Eph.  ii,  10.  The 
chief  sign  is  not,  however,  in  the  doing  of  these  works,  but 
rather  in  the  manner  in  which  they  are  done.  'Ihe  Pharisee 
does  his  'to  be  seen  of  men;'  the  Christian  for  'the  answer  of 
a  gof)d  conscience.'  The  former  makes  no  distinction  be- 
tween grace  and  works,  as  does  the  latter,  Grace  excludes 
the  Arminian  doctrine  of  works,  and  maintains,  in  the  renew- 
ed heart,  its  own  proper  doctrine;  a  doctrine  which  plainly 
declares,  if  salvation  be  by  grace,  it  cannot  be  by  works.  ' 
The  true  believer  has  a  'witness  in  himself,'  testifying  that 
salvation  is  not  of  works,  but  by  grace.  He  distinguishes 
between  them  as  he  does  between  Christ  and  himself,  know- 
ing that  if  salvation  be  by  Christ,  it  can  not  be  by  himself. 

The  'peculiar  people'  whom  the  Lord  hath  purified  unto 
Himself  are  'zealous  of  good  works.'  Titus  ii,  4.  The  zeal 
of  the  'peculiar  people'  manifests  itself  in  declarations  like 
the  following:  'What  shall  I  do?'  'Lord  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?'  It  seeks  ardently  a  knowledge  of  the  particular 
commandments  of  the  Lord,  which  distinguishes  it  from  a  ' 
zeal  'not  according  to  knowledge,'  affording  thereby  a  charac- 
teristic mark  of  its  divine  origin.  Many  are  very  zealous  of 
works  v>"hich  the  Lord  has  not  commanded,  and  evince  great 
zeal  in  performing  them,  while  they  neglect  the.  weightier 
■ones  plainly  enjoined  by  the  Lord.  The  mere  outward  sign 
of  works  is  b}'  no  means  a  certain  evidence  of  internal 


22 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST, 


Christianity,  as  they  are  performed  by  different  individuals 
from  very  different  motives.  He  that  performs  them  to  gain 
worldly  advantage,  is  a  hypocrite; — he  that  boasts  of  them^ 
is  a  Pharisee; — he  that  contends  there  is  merit  m  them  is  an 
Arminian; — ^he,  and  he  only,  that  maintains  good  works  be- 
cause he  loves  Christ,  is  a  Christian  in  whom  there  is  no 
hypocritical  guile,  Pharisaical  pride,  or  Arminian  blindness. 
He,  and  he  alone,  can  say  with  Paul,  in  the  midst  of  good 
works,  'By  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am.'  Christ  says 
'If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments,'  and  when  we  keep  , 
them  from  a  principle  of  the  foregoing  kind,  we  manifest 
a  sign  of  our  love  of  Christ.  Paul,  in  speaking  of  his  re- 
lation to  others  in  that  respect,  said,  'I  labored  more  abund-' 
antly  than  they  all;  yet  not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God  which 
was  with  me.' 

The  believer  joins  the  Church  of  Christ  because  he  has 
fellowship  for  the  people  of  the  Lord.  He  is  baptised  for  the 
answer  of  a  good  conscience.  He  gives  alms  of  which  his 
left  hand  knows  nothing ;  he  prays  in  secret;  he  fasts  unto 
the  Lord  ;  he  feeds  the  hungry ;  and  clothes  the  naked  ;  he  visits 
the  sick  and  fatherless  ;  he  does  good  unto  all  men.  These 
are  great  works,  but  open  to  many  perversions.  I  wilL 
therefore,  examine  them  one  by  one  very  particularly  : 

1.  Joining  the  Church  is  a  very  common  thing,  in  the  ordi- 
nary acceptation  of  the  term,  but  when  spiritually  under- 
stood, is  a  great  affair. 

Christ  says,  'Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  can  not  see 
the  kingdom  of  God;'  he  can  not  recognize  its  king,  appre- 
ciate its  laws,  or  love  its  subjects.  In  connection  with  this  I 
may  quote  the  following  from  an  inspired  writer  :  'We  know 
that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life  because  we  love  the 
brethren.'  None  should  join  'the  Church  of  God'  without 
spiritual  qualifications,  such  as  will  secure  the  fellowship  of 
spiritual  brethren,  a  sincere  acknowledgement  of  the  truths 
an  honest  compliance  with  Gospel  ordinances,  and  a  deep 
interest  in  all  the  concerns  of  the  Church. 


4» 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

It  is  to  be  greatly  feared  that  many  attach  themselves  tQ 
particular  denominations  without  a  spirituaJ  knowledge  of 
'the  kingdom  of  God:'  without  Christian  fellowship  for  hi? 
people  ;  without  an  acicnowledgement  of  divine  truth  :  and 
without  a  zealous  concern  about  the  ordinances  of  the  house 
of  God.  They  evidence  great  zeal  about  temporal  interests. 
strive*to  secure  advantages  of  that  kind,  have  only  a  natural 
fellowship  for  members  of  such  societies,  and  object  to 
doctrinal  truths  as  'hard  sayings.'  They  allow  themselves 
great  latitude  in  interpreting  the  Holy  Scriptures;  shaping  all 
things  conformably  to  the  prevailing  tastes,  and  popular  views, 
and  natural  course  of  things,  deeming  it  worse  heresy  to  op- 
pose the  wisdom  of  this  world  in  religious  affairs,  than  to 
pervert  the  plain  doctrinal  truths  of  the  Bible !  But  there 
are  'a  few'  who  'marvel  not  if  the  world  hate'  them  ;  who 
have  'the  faith  of  God's  elect,'  which  stands  in  the  power  of 
God,  and  not  in  the  wisdom  of  men ;  who  love  the  brethren 
because  they  are  born  of  God,  with  a  holy  love  which  knows 
no  spiritual  difference  between  a  'Deputy'  and  a  Lazarus,  or 
between  an  honorable 'seller  of  purple"  and  a  Mary  Magda-- 
len.  They  regard  each  other  as  brethren  in  the  Lord,  in  one 
common  bond  of  union,  believers  of  the  same  scriptural 
truths,  and  doers  of  the  same  good  works.  A'o  outward  cir- 
cumstances determine  their  fellowship:  these  do  not  avail 
anything;  but  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus.  This  new 
creature  is  spiritually  honorable,  however  ignoble  before:  is 
spiritually  wise,  however  foolish  before:  is  rich  in  faith, 
though  of  the  poor  of  this  world  :  is  a  near  kinsman  by  his 
spiritual  birth,  though  not  related  by  a  natural  one.  He  is 
an  heir  of  the  Heavenly  kingdom,  and  an  expectant  of  a 
crown  of  glor3^  The  practical  test  of  continuing  steadfast 
in  the  Apostle's  doctrine  and  fellowship  will  ensue  as  a 
spiritual  consequence;  also  each  will  esteem  others  better 
than  himself,  and  he  that  would  be  great  among  them  must 
become  servant  of  all.  Other  signs  follow,  such  as  the  ensu- 
ing :  They  bear  each  other's  burdens,  watch  over  each  for 
good  and  not  for  evil,  administer  to  each  other's  necessities  : 


24  .  THE   OLD   BAPTIST   TEST.  .  ■ 

pray  for  one  anotlier ;  when  one  suffers,  all  suffer;  when  one 
rejoices,  all  rejoice  ;  they  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints  ;  they  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  have 
no  confidence  in  themselves. 

2.  Baptism.  They  are  buried  with  Christ  by  baptism, 
wherein  they  are  also  risen  with  him,  through  the  faith  which 
is  of  the  operation  of  God.  They  have  the  believer's  baptism, 
which  none  but  true  believers  can  obtain.  None  can  get  the 
Christian's  baptism  without  '  the  faith  which  is  of  the  opera- 
tion of  God.'  The  outward  form  and  act  are  mere  nullities 
without  the  faith  of  God's  elect.  Christ  ordained  this  baptism 
for  his  people,  whom  the  Father  gave  him,  and  no  other  can 
get  it.  It  can  only  be  obtained  by  '  the  faith  which  is  of  the. 
operation  of  God.'  Without  this  faith  neither  the  Pharisee, 
hypocrite  or  unbeliever  can  obtain  the  Christian's  baptism  ; 
Tior  can  the  true  believer  himself  receive  it,  without  its  scrip- 
tural mode  ;  for  he  must  be  buried  in  the  v/ater,  and  arise 
from  the  water,  before  he  can,  by  faith,  be  buried  and  risen 
with  Christ  in  his  baptism.  The  mode  is,  then,  indispensably 
necessary,  and  should  be  zealously  maintained.  But,  alas  ! 
there  are  many  who  ignore  both  the  faith  which  is  of  the  op- 
eration of  God,  and  the  mode  recorded  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  ! 
They  are  both  practically  excluded  in  infant  sprinkling. 
Some  infer  that  there  were  infants  among  the  Jailor's  house- 
hold, all  of  whom  were  baptized  by  Paul  or  Silas,  but  the 
text  contradicts  that  notion  ;  for  they  all  heUeved,  and  infants, 
of  course,  were  excluded.  In  fact,  baptism  wherever  set 
forth  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  is  always  associated,  either  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  with  faith.  God  has  joined  them  together, 
and  no  man  or.  set  of  men  can  put  them  asunder.  Christ  is 
assuredly  the  Great  Examplar ;  in  conformity  to  the  ceremo- 
nial law,  he  was  circumcised ;  and  in  agreement  with  a  Gos- 
pel ordinance,  he  was  baptized.  Shall  the  head  of  the 
Church  receive  one  baptism,  and  the  members  another? 
Christ  received  the  baptism  of  John  ;  his  earl}^  followers  the 
same.    John's  baptism  was  from  Heaven,  and  was  the  bap- 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  _ 

tism  which  Christ  commanded  his  disciples  to  administer. 
The  true  believer,  in  the  present  day.  finds  it  to  be,  not  the 
putting  away  the  filth  of  tne  flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a  good 
conscience.  I  will  briefly  recapitulate  the  signs  of  the  Chris- 
tian's baptism  :  A  goin^"  down  into  the  water — a  coming  up 
out  of  the  water — an  av  owed  faith  which  is  of  the  operation 
of  God,  a  burial  in  the  water — a  resurrection  from  the  water 
—a  proper  administrator — the  answer  of  a  good  conscience 
—a  rejoicing.    :\Iatt.  iii,  16;  Acts  viii,  30,  89;  Col.  ii,  12. 

5.  The  Lord's  Scpper.  The  believer  partakes  of  this  dis- 
cerning, by  failh,  the  Lord's  body.  He  shows  forth  in  the  ordi- 
nance the  suiierings  and  death  of  Christ,  as  he  did  his  burial . 
and  resurrection  b\-  baptism.  Faith  is  indispensable  here 
likewise ;  without  it,  the  wounded  bod}'  of  Christ  cannot  be 
seen  in  its  significance,  nor  can  the  blood  which  was  shed,  be 
regarded  in  its  atoning  qualities.  Without  faith,  guilt  would 
be  incurred  in  partaking  of  the  elements  ot  the  ordinance,  and 
yet,  strange  to  relate,  some  Armiuian  pastors  are  in  the  habit 
of  administering  the  sacrament  of  bread  and  wine  to  unbe- 
lievers 1  notwithstanding  the  Scriptures  expressly  state  that 
none  should  partake  thereof  unless  they  can,  by  faith,  discern 
the   Lord's  body.    1  Cor.  xi,  29.  .  '  ; 

The  ordinances  Baptism  and  Lord's  vSupper,  were  ordained 
for  the  people  of  God  exclusively;  none  others  can  receive 
the  spiritual  benefits  thereof;  even  they  themselves  can  not 
until  they  are  endowed  with  faith — the  faith  of  God's  elect — 
the  faith  which  is  the  gift  of  God — the  faith  of  the  operation 
of  God,  wrought  in  the  soul  bv  -'the  exceeding  greatness  of 
his  pov.-er  to  us  ward,  who  believe  according  to  the  working 
of  his  mighty  power,  which  he  wrought  in  Christ,  when  he 
raised  him  from  the  dead.'    Eph.  i,  19,  20. 

Truly  may  I  re-assert  that  faith  does  not  stand  'in  the  wis- 
dom of  men,  but  in  the  power  of  God.'  It  is  not  a  bare  as- 
sent of  the  mind  to  Gospel  truths  apart  fromi  spiritual  assu- 
rance, called  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  a  -'demonstration  of  the 
spirit;'  but  on  the  contrary  it  is  the  -  gift'  of  God;  the  -  fruit' 


26 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Its  practical  tests  will  shortly  come  up 
for  particular  consideration. 

I  will  offer,  in  connection  with  Baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper,  a  few  remarks  on  the  washing  of  feet.  Christ  says, 
«If  I,  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed  your  feet,  ye 
ought  also  to  wash  one  another's  feet.  For  I  have  given  you 
an  example,  that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you.'  Had 
he  bestowed  by  some  imposiDg  token  an  honorable  mark  of 
personal  distinction  on  some  two  or  three  of  his  disciples,  and 
then  commanded  them  to  observe  the  same  ceremony  in  re- 
gard to  others  afterward,  such  an  act  would  not  have  been 
neglected  and  forgotten  to  the  extent  which  this  has.  Pride, 
pre-eminence,  personal  distinction,  and  selfishness,  are  all 
spiritually  excluded  by  a  proper  performance  of  this  humble 
ceremony,  which  has  nothing  besides  humility,  charity  and 
dependence  to  recommend  and  preserve  it  ;  hence  we  but  sel- 
dom hear  it  mentioned,  or  see  it  practiced!  When  performed 
in  a  right  way,  and  in  a  right  spirit,  it  affords  a  good  practical 
test  of  Christianity.  T  will  not  insist  on  its  being  observed 
as  a  Church  ordinance,  but  can  conscientiously  recommend  it 
as  a  safe  practice.  This,  like  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper, 
requires  for  its  spiritual  performance,  a  '  new  creature,'  en- 
dowed with  the  qualifications  just  enumerated. 

THE  PRACTICAL  EVIDENCES   OF  FAITH. 

1.  It  embraces  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Way,  the  Truth 
and  the  Life. 

2.  It  receives  and  acknowledges  Gospel  truths,  and  '  the 
doctrine  which  is  according  to  Godliness.' 

3.  It  is  'not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.' 

4.  It  works  by  love.  . 

5.  Shows  itself  by  its  works.  • 

6.  It  establishes  the  law  by  recognizing  its  perfection  in  the 
obedience  of  Christ. 

7.  It  overcomes  the  world 
•    8.  It  resists  the  devil. 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

9.  It  relies  on 'the  evidence  of  things  not  seen.' 

10.  It  looks  to  Christ  as  its  '  Author  and  Finisher.' 

11.  It  subserves  the  power  of  God  in  the  safe  keeping  of  his 
people.  '  The  time  would  fail  me  to  tell'  of  all  its  practical 
signs ;  and  yet  one  more  I  will  relate . 

12.  The  best  test  of  faith  is  its  reliance  on  the  declarations, 
assurances  and  promises  of  God,  irrespectively  of  visible 
means,  reliable  indications,  or  strong  probabilities.  The  faith 
which  does  not  trust  in  the  Lord,  in  the  absence  of  these,  is 
not  of  the  right  kind.    Heb.  xi. 

I  will  now  treat  of  my  subject  in  a  more  general  way. 

Self-denying,  cross-bearing,  following  Christ,  walking  in 
him,  are  favorable  signs.  Watching,  fasting  and  praying,  are 
holy  indications  of  spiritual  life.  God's  'own  elect'  evince 
their  renevv^ed  state  by  crying  unto  him  'day  and  night.^ 
Luke  xviii,  7.  The  '  doers  of  the  word'  show  their  faith  by 
their  works.'  Contending  earnestly  '  for  the  faith  once  deliv- 
ered to  the  saints,'  is  a  mark  of  distinction — a  remarkable 
one,  indeed:,  in  the  present  day. 

Deeds  of  charity,  about  which  the  left  hand  knows  nothing, 
are,  when  accidentally  known,  a  very  reliable  practical  test. 
Their  spiritual  strength  is  renewed  by  waiting  on  the  Lord. 
Growing  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  God  our  Saviour, 
furnishes  very  reliable  proof  of  the  presence  of  eternal  life  in 
the  soul. 

It  is  a  favorable  sign  when  neither  '  heights  or  depths'  sepa-= 
rate  the  believer  from  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Finally,  not  to  be  tedious,  as  the  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit, 
so  is  the  professor  of  Christianity  known  outwardly  by  his 
works,  Vv^hile  his  inward,  or  hidden,  state  is  known  to  God  and 
to  God  only.  The  failings,  ba^ckslidings,  and  departures  of 
true  believers,  have,  in  the  main^  strong  peculiarities,  which 
contradistinguish  such  defections  from  those  of  the  Pharisee  or 
hypocrite.  'Their  spot  is  not  the  spot  of  his  children,'  as  1 
will  now  show.    Deut.  xxxii,  5  ;  Jud.  i,  12, 


2B  •  THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

•  1.  Their  backslidings  do  not  end  in  final  unbelief,  but  are 
healed  by  the  Lord.    Jer.-  iii,  22;  Hos.  xiv,  4. 

2.  Their  unbelief  does  not  continue,  but  yields  to  the 
prayer,  '  Lord  increase  our  faith.'    Mark  ix,  24;  Luke  xix,  5. 

3 .  Their  transgressions  are  visited  with  '  the  rod,  and  their 
iniquity  with  stripes,'  yet  the  'loving  kindness'  of  God  is  not 
withdrawn  from  them.    Ps.  Ixxx,  33. 

.v-4.  Their  chastisements  yield  unto  them 'the  peaceable  fruits 
of  righteousness.'    Ileb.  xii,  11. 

5.  Ail  things,  whether  they  be  good  or  evil,  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God;  to  them  that  are  the  called 
according  to  his  purpose.    Rom.  viii,  28. 

6.  Their  denial  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  word  or  deed  is 
attended  sooner  or  later,  with  a  spiritual  reaction  of  the  soul, 
in  the  production  of  penitential  shame  and  sorrow,  constrain- 
ing the  sufferer  to  seek  that  forgiveness,  which  is  realized 
through  Jesus  Christ.    Mat.  xiv,  72. 

Having  adduced  so?7ie  of  the  bible  signs  of  the  people  of 
God,  I  shall  now  take  in  hand  the  second  division  of  my  sub- 
ject, proof  of  their  a.pplicability  to  the  old  order  of  Bap- 
tists. .  •     ' ' 

The  popular  objections,  of  the  present  day,  to  the  old  order 
of  Baptists,  when  fully  tested,  in  connection  with  the  Bible 
signs  just  related,  prove  them  to  be  the  people  of  God  very 
conclusively.  Objections  are  openly  made  by  some  to  their 
tenets,  which,  when  critically  examined,  amount  to  quasi-ex- 
ceptions  to  plainly  revealed  truths  themselves! 

The  plan  which  I  shall  adopt  by  which  to  establish  their 
claims  to  the  Bible  tests  of 'God's  elect,'  will  be  to  answer 
these  objections,  one  by  one: 

\   1.  That  they  are  few  in  number  when  compared  with  the 
'many'  of  other  denominations. 

Flavel  says:  "If  none  but  new  creatures  be  in  Christ,  how  • 
small  a  remnant  among  men  belongs  to  Christ  in  this  world! 
Among  the  multitude  of  rational  creatures,  inhabiting  this 
world,  how  few,  how  very  few  are  new  creatures.    It  is  the 


•    ti  THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST.  .gj 

observation  of  the  learned  'Mr.  Brerewood.  that  if  the  world  be 
divided  into  thirty  parts,  nineteen  parts  are  heathenish  idola- 
ters, six  parts  Mahometans,  and  only  five  out  of  thirty  which 
maybe  in  a  large  sense  called  christians:  of  which  the  far 
greater  pm^t  is  overspread  with  Popish  darkness,  separate, 
from  tlie  remainder,  the  multitude  of  profane,  merely  civil, 
hypocritical  professors  of  religion,  and  hovr  few  vrill  remain 
for  Jesus  Christ  in  this  world!  Look  over  the  cities,  towns  and 
parishes  in  this  populous  kingdom — England — and  how  few 
shall  you  find  that  speak  the  language  and  do  the  works  of 
new  creatures."' 

''I  sum  up  half  of  mankind, 
And  two  thirds  of  the  remaining  half 
And  find  the  total  of  all  their  hopes  and  fears. 
Dreams,  empty  dreams." 

Christ  said  on  different  occasions,  in  regard  to  this  subject: 
'Strait  is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  vhich  leadeth  unto 
life,  and  feic  there  be  that  find  it.'  r>Iatt.  vii,  13.  Olany  be 
called,  but  few  chosen.'  3Iatt.  xx.  '26.  'Fear  not,  little  fiock: 
for  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.' 
Luke  xii,  .3-2. 

AYho  would  not  rather  be  one  of  the  feic  who  find  the  nar. , 
row  Avay — one  of  tke/cj/j  'chosen' — one  of  the  little  fiock  to 
whom  the  kingdom  is  given,  than  one  of  the  almost  countless 
Roman  Catholics,  or  one  of  the  millions  of  Russo-Gi-reek  here- 
tics, or  even  one  of  the  multitude  of  modern  Protestants? 
The  word  few.  m.ay  be  regarded  as  a  numerical  adjective,  be- 
longing, in  a  scriptural  sense,  to  the  Lord's  people,  while  the 
word -many' is  never  applied  to  them  relatively,  but  only  col- 
lectively. 

Here  the  word  'few,'  in  its  comparative  sense,  is  of  solemn 
import.  Let  our  feelings  be  what  they  may  on  the  subject,  it 
is  too  plainly  revealed  to  be  denied.  Xor  can  the  old  order  of 
Baptists  be  reproached  consonantly  with  the  Holy  Scriptures 
on  account  of  being  few  in  number:  on  the  contrary,  they  de- 
rive from  the  very  objection  itself,  one  of  the  characteristic 
m.arks  of  the  people  of  God. 


%0'  ^  ,  THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

2.  Many  object  to  the  old  order  of  Baptists  because  of  their 
opposition  to  all  innovations  in  their  ecclesiastical  affairs: 
supposing  that  the}^  are  opposed  to  all  changes  and  improve- 
merits  in  like  manner,  in  temporal  aiiairs.  But  this  is  not 
the  case,  for  they  make  a  broad  and  necessary  distinction  be- 
tv/een  the  things  ordained  of  God  and  those  instituted  by  men. 
The  former  admit  of  no  changes,  but  the  latter  do.  They 
maintain  the  doctrine  that  literary  institutions  should  teach 
the  things  of  literature;  1;h at  scientific  establishments  should 
demonstrate  the  things  of  science;  and  that  these,  in  common 
with  all  other  human  institutions,  are  amenable  to  such  inno- 
vations as  may  be  deemed  necessary  at  any  time.  The  best 
plans  for  the  management  of  temporal  affairs  may  often  be 
beneficially  changed;  the  best  works  of  men  greatly  improv- 
ed; and  their  greatest  discoveries  still  extended.  But  they  con- 
tend that  as  the  Church  of  Christ  is  a  divine  institution,  the 
rules  and  regulations  given  by  the  Lord  for  its  government, 
should  not  be  altered,  taken  from  or  added  to.  They  admit 
no  authority  for  changing  any  of  these  things,  since  the  sacred 
canon  was  closed.  Discoveries  in  science  and  the  lights  of 
literature  are  superceded  here.  None  should  dare,  however 
wise  or  reverend,  either  alone  or  in  conjunction  with  others,  to 
alter  the- things  which  have  been  revealed  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Church.    Well  was  it  written  by  a  learned  poet  that, 

"Not  many  wise,  rich,  noble  or  profound, 
In  science,  win  one  inch  of  heavenly  ground." 

HovvT  lamentable  the  fact,  that  literary  and  scientific  lights 
often  become,  in  a  religious  sense,  the  very  darkness  of  infi- 
dehty  itself.  The  boasted  tree  of  knowledge  is  then  preferred 
to  the  tree  of  life! 

We  are  not  looking  spitefully  on  human  progress  as  some 
suppose,  because  we  profess  to  knov/reHgiously  a  more  excd- 
lent  vv^ay? 

•  •The  Waldensian  Church  was  chaiged  with  being  ''anti- 
quated in  its  ideas,  slow  and  timid  in  its  movements,  and  in* 


THE   CLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  *  "Sj 

capable  of  meeting  the  wants  of  a  people  or  country/'  sucli 
as  Italy,  for  instance.  And  may  vre  not  expect  to  incur  sim- 
liar  reproaches? 

Vie  do  not  expect  the  sympathy  nor  co-operation  of  other 
denominations.  Arminians  of  all  kinds  deprecate  our  doc- 
trine, and  even  the  other  CALvmsTS  cannot  endure  our 
strong  Bible  Vv-ords  on  the  subject  of  Baptism  and  church 
government  1 

Because  these  people  do  not  adopt  the  innovations  of  the 
day,  termed  m-odern  improvements  in  religious  affairs,  they 
are  regarded  by  other  denominations  as  being  far  behind  the 
times.  ^ 

Fiidor  est  referre — That  the  word  of  God  itself  is  behind  the 
times!  and  should  be  so  interpreted  or  modified  as  to  suit  the 
present  timics!  A  belief  that  the  sun.  moon  and  stars  v»'ere 
not  ordained  of  God  for  all  ages  and  times,  and  an  attempt 
on  that  belief,  to  alter  their  relation  to  this  world  would  not  be 
more  absurd,  than  to  suppose  that  God's  revealed  truths,  were 
not  designed  for  the  present  times- — "fast"  as  they  are — and 
that  they  should  be  fashioned  to  suit  them. 

Let  us  see  if  it  is  not  best,  in  a  religious  sense,  to  keep  be- 
hind them?  G  .  1  :.  in  accordance  'with  the  times  when  he 
was  on  earth,  was  contradicted,  maJ-treated,  and  finally  cruci- 
fied! The  religious  times  of  the  apostles  sanctioned  their 
persecutions  and  martyrdoms!  The  succeeding  religious 
times  developed  anti-Christ.  x\nd;  the- times  of  religious  im- 
provements also  brought  forth  different  orders  of  Baptists; 
and  ibis  now  necessary  to  test  the  claim  of  each,  not  by  the 
times,  but  by  the  standard  of  Holy  \Yrit.  Then  we  do  not 
appeal  to  the  times,  but  to  the  Bible,  the  only  authentic  record 
of  Christian  tests.  Religious  times,  which  are  remarkable  for 
their  sanction  of  innovations  in  divine  things,  are  very  dan- 
gerous and  hurtful,  and  should  be  cautiously  guarded  against. 
How  can  the  sincere  believer  of  the  Bible  accom-odate  his 
faith  to  the  changing  notions  of  the  tk:ies?  The  truths  and 
blessings  of  the  Gospel  are  alike  applicabk  to. all  times.  They 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


imply  a  change  in  the  subjects  thereof  and  not  in  themselves. 
The  Gospel  reveals  the  same  Saviour  for  every  age;  the  same 
grace  and  trnth  all  the  vi^hile,  'for  such  as  should  be  saved;' 
the  same  'holy  calling'  irrespectively  of  the  times  for  them 
•whom  he 'predestinated  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his 
son,'  and  the  same  justification,  without  regard  to  any  age  for 
them  whom  he  will  glorify. 

In  every  instance  when  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  im- 
prove the  Lord's  plan  of  carrying  on  the  affairs  of  his  Church 
a  signal  failure  has  ensued,  and  an  injury  has  been  inflicted 
on  the  people  of  God.  The  Lord's  plans  give  free  scope  to 
faith,  which  must  be  exercised  in  the  employment  of  them. 
They  do  not  suit^those  who  have  not  faith,  consequently  they 
are  constantly  disposed  -  to  change  them,  or  to  adopt  other 
ways,  especially  if  they  be  sanctioned  by  the  times.  Let  the 
old  order  of  Baptists,  then,  be  excused  for  guarding  against 
the  present  times,  so  inimical  to  many  plainly  revealed  truths  ; 
and  rather  let  their  course  in  that  respect  be  regarded  as  one 
of  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  God's  'peculiar  peo- 
ple.' 

3.  Another  very  great  objection  to  them  is  that  they  are 
unfriendly  to  the  benevolent  institutions  of  the  day. 

To  the  old  order  of  Baptists  belongs  the  credit  of  having  pre- 
dicted for  the  last  thirty  years  that  these  institutions  would  ul- 
timately degenerate  into  politico-religious  powers,  and  assume 
the  right  of  interm.eddling  with  religious  and  political  affairs. 
This  prediction  has  already  been  fulfilled,  most  ostensibly  in 
the  great  Know  Nothing  movement  of  the  day. — During  the 
whole  of  this  time,  whenever  they  were  importuned  to  join 
any  of  these  societies,  they  invariably  expressed  their  fears, 
that  they  would  sooner  or  later  aspire  to  religious  or  civil 
measures  incompatible  with  the  Cross  of  Christ  and  our  repub- 
lican form  of  government. — For  this  wise  foresight  they  have 
been  oTten  greatly  ridiculed  ! 

These  incidental  but  necessary  remarks  have  not  been  made 
to  get  up  political  issues  between  brethren.  The  writer  has  high- 


THE  OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


er  and  holier  aims  than  any  thing  of  the  kind.  He  will  admit  at 
once,  that  any  baptist  has  a  right  to  vote  the  know  nothing  or 
temperance  ticket  or  any  other,  but  he  cannot  consonantly  with 
old  baptist  principles  join  either  of  these  societies  and  main- 
tain.  membership  in  them:  such  an  act  has  always  been  re- 
garded by  them  as  an  offence  against  their  church,  and  has 
involved  church  dealings  and  the  exercise  of  church  disci- 
pline. This  is  known  and  admitted  by  all  true  baptists.  Such 
acts  not  only  violate  one  of  their  strong  principles,  but  endan- 
ger strife,  disunion  and  distress,  and  surely  no  good  baptist 
A^'onld.  in  th.^.t  way.  comxproniise  the  peace  of  his  church  and 
the  order  of  his  association,  as  well  as  his  own  fellowship  and- 
membership  in  the  Church. 

Knowing  that  this  principle  has  been  so  long  established 
and  maintained  by  the  old  baptist  churches,  and  the  results  of 
a  violation  of  it  as  just  stated,  make  a  disregard  of  it  far  worse, 
than  if  scuh  things  had  not  existed  among  them  heretofore. 

There  is  certainly  abroad  and  palpable  distinction  between 
the  right  of  voting  as  a  citizen  any  ticket  whatever,  and  the- 
right  as  a  baptist  of  offending  brethren  by  an  act  which  has 
never  been  allowed  by  their  churches — But  the  objector  may 
say  that  the  rights  of  baptists  should  be  equal  to  those  of 
other  men.  Let  us  see.  A  common  citizen  has  the  right  to 
join  even  a  secret  oath  bound  catholic  society  and  maintain 
a  membership  in  it  according  to  its  requisitions,  but  can  a  mem- 
ber of  the  baptist  church  do  so,  and  maintain  the  fellow- 
ship of  his  brethren?  -Thus  we  perceive  that  Ave  may  as  citizens 
do  many  thing  compatible  with  civil  government  vrhich  would 
be  incompatible  with  our  church  government.  Shall  we  in  wise 
foresight,  look  steadily  for  many  years  at  an  impending  evil, 
and  when  it  comes  embrace  and  pursue  it  to  the  great  hurt  of 
our  churches  and  associations  ?  We  are  the  last  people  on 
earth,  who  should  attach  ourselves  to  secret  religious  or  politi- 
cal societies  of  any  kind.  Before  we  can  do  so,  as  trae  bap- 
tists, we  must  unchurch  our  churches,  unbaptize  our  baptisms, 
disprofess  our  profession,  unsay  our  sayings  and  unwrite  our 
writings  for  many  years  past !    The  very  profession,  savings 

3 


TSE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


and  writings  vdiicli  so  clearly  identify  us  with  the  Waldensiaii 
church. 

Christian  reader  be  not  alarmed ;  the  hand  of  a  brother  is  . 
on  the  paper,  backed  by  a  heart  full  of  love  and  sympathy  for 
erring  brethren,  and  out  of  the  fullness  thereof  allow  him  to 
write  kind  words  of  entreaty.  If  you  are  entangled  in  this 
medley  of  politics  and  religion,  come  out  at  once,  and  hence- 
forth touch  not,  handle  not  the  things  which  provoke  strife 
and  disunion  among  the  dear  people  of  the  Lord. 

Shall  we  give  up  our  peculiar  principles  which  contradis- 
tinguish us  from  all  other  denominations,  for  the  sake  of 
maintaining  membership  in  a  secret  politico-religious  society? 
Shall  we  pursue  such  things  until  we  shall  be  reckoned  among 
the  sects  of  the  day  ?  Shall  we  not  rather  adhere  more 
steadily  to  our  ancient  principles,  and  stand  more  firmly  by 
our  old  land  marks  ? 

Let  it  again  be  repeated,  these  things  have  not  been  writ- 
ten to  provoke  political  discussion,  but  to  provoke  you  to  love 
and  to  good  works ;  to  guard  you  against  the  evil  tendencies 
of  the  Know  -Nothing  society  ;  some  of  which  are  obviously 

1 .  A  tendency  to  interfere  with  our  religious  liberty. 

2.  To  establish  religious  tests  in  politics. 

3.  To  war  against  the  manifest  providence  of  God  in  re- 
gard to  foreigners.  -  .  : 

4.  To  coalesce  with  anti-Christ : — -Extremes  meet  in  all 
cases.  A  secret  politico-religious  society,  established  and 
maintained  by  protestants,  will  sooner  or  later  bear  the  fruits 
of  Jesuitism.  The  buddings  of  which  may  be  already  recog- 
nized even  in  the  incipiency  of  the  one  now  under  considera- 
tion. But  I  must  forbear.  These  four  plain  indicators  set 
up  by  the  side  of  the  christian  patriot's  way,  to  guard 
him  against  its  dangerous  outlets,  must  suffice.  To  pursue 
either  of  the  dark  paths  to  which  they  so  plainly  point, 
would  require  a  volume  of  politics.  And  to  offer  an  apology 
for  the  few  remarks  I  have  made  on  the  subject,  would  be  like 


THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


apologizing  to  a  friend  for  an  attempt  to  turn  him  aside  from 
a  dangerous  precipice  1 

FIRST.  TEMPERANCE  SOCIETIES. 

Provision  was  made  for  the  temperance  of  the  Churchill 
the  gift  of  the  Hoi}'  Spirit ,  it  is  especially  stated  in  the  hol}^ 
Scriptures,  that  temperance  is  a  fruit  of  the  Spirit.  Gal.  v, 
2,  3.  If  it  be,  as  is  faith,  love,  joy,  &c.,  a  fruit  of  the  spirit, 
'vvhy  should  it  require  temperance  societies  for  its  mainten- 
ance in  the  Church?  The  other  fruits  of  the  spirit,  I  suppose 
can  be  left  to  the  care  of  the  Church ;  but  this  cannot.  Shall 
the  Church  of  Christ,  with  its  divine  organization,  its  sub- 
jects of  spiritual  life,  and  with  its  aboui) ding  fruits  of  love, 
faith,  joy.  peace  and  charity,  require  the  aid  of  an  adventi- 
tious institution,  to  maintain  tem.perance  amongst  its  mem- 
bers ? 

■True  to  their  spirit,  these  societies  insist  on  a  higher  order 
of  abstinence  than  did  the  Saviour  himself.  May  we  not, 
therefore,  justly  fear  that  they  have  been  brought  forth  by 
the  same  spirit  which  was  wont  to  call  Christ,  in  view  of  his 
eating  and  drinking,  'a  wine  bibber  and  gluttonous,  a  friend 
of  publicans  and  sinners?  Matt,  xi,  19  ;  Luke  vii,  34.  Were, 
the  man  Christ  Jesus  now  v\ith  us,  and  v/ere  he  to  eat  and 
drink  as  of  old,  this  sam.e  spirit  in  view  thereof  would,  in 
some  of  its  high  places,  cry  out,  through  certain  persons, 
^wine  bibber,  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners  !'  Then  let  us 
beware  of  a  spirit  that  would  reproach  Christ,  his  truth  or 
Church.  .  I  will  ask  a  question  here  which  involves  a  seri- 
ous answer  ait  least :  Shall  we  abandon  the  Scriptural  doc- 
trine of  temperance,  and  adopt  another  which  vainly  as- 
sumes a  higher  and  a  different  ground  from  that  which  was 
taught  by  Christ  himself?  To  abandon,  in  that  way,  the 
doctrine,  precept  and  example  of  Christ,  is  an  implied 
-approval  of  the  reproaches  of  the  old  Pharisees,  that  Christ 
was  a  wine  bibber,  &c.,  or  an  admission  of  defective  Church 
discipline,  to  say  the  least.  If  the  precepts  and  admonitions 
given,  to  the  Church  on  the  subject  of  temperance  do  not  pre= 


THE  OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


vail,  may  we  not  fear  they  have  not  been  acknowledged 
through  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Because  the  old  Baptists  strive  to  maintain  the  order  and 
dignity  of  their  church  by  not  joining  temperance  societies, 
they  are  called  'whisky  drinkers,'  'old  topers,'  and  'the  friends 
of  publicans  and  drunkards.'  These  are  hard  terms,  but  far 
lighter,  relatively,  than  those  with  which  Christ  was  assailed. 
No  temperance  lecturer  these  days  considers  his  lecture 
fashionably  complete  without  uttering  some  bitter  invectives 
against  these  people.  Many  far-fetched  iniquitous  anecdotes 
are  related  at  such  times,  which  never  occurred  among  them  ; 
and  unjust  aspersions  are  heaped  upon  them  with  an  unspar- 
ing hand,  and  with  the  intolerance  of  that  spirit  which  knows 
no  difference  between  that  temperance  which  is  a  fruit  of 
the  Spirit,  and  that  which  is  the  product  of  Pharisaism  ! 

Shall  we  leave  the  Church  of  God  and  go  into  a  temper- 
ance society,  for  the  cultivation  of  temperance,  because  the 
human  in^^titution  is  more  holy?  Shall  we  leave  the  word  of 
God  to  seek  counsel  from  men?  Shall  we  prefer  the  Phari- 
saical product  of  a  temperance  institution  to  that  temperance 
which,  in  the  word  of  God,  and  in  the  life  of  the  Christian, 
is  associated  as  a  fruit  with  those  of  love,  joy,  peace  and 
charity? 

The  man  or  set  of  men  who  cannot  maintaip  temperance 
in  the  Church  of  God,  surely  would  fail  to  do  so  in  a  human 
institution  !  The  old  order  of  Baptists  contend  earnestly  for 
the  highest  order  of  temperance  known  to  man  on  earth, 
even  that  temperance  which  is  a  fruit  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
when  drunkeness  occurs  among  them,  church  discipline  is 
employed  for  its  correction.  They  do  not  object  to  habitual 
drunkards  forming  and  maintaining  a  temperance  society  on 
any  plan  they  may  adopt,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  around 
themselves  such  restraints  as  will  secure  their  reformation. 
This  society,  in  its  relation  to  the  Church,  will  come  up 
shortly  for  its  share  in  the  remarks  which  I  shall  presently 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


o^er  on  human  institations  generally;  for  the  present  I  vrill 
drop  the  subject. 

4.  Their  non-participation  in  Missionary  societies  is  every 
-.vhere  spoken  against,  and  constitutes/in  the  estimation  of 
all  other  denominations,  the  greatest  of  all  objections  to 
them. 

Reader,  if  you  are  not  an  old  Baptist,  I  fear3'ou  may  loose 
your  patience,  as  I  must  request  you  to  follow  me  on  while 
I  educe  a  biblical  doctrine  on  this  subject.  Our  opposition 
to  Missionary  institutions  is  not  understood  it  needs  an  ex- 
planation, which,  when  given,  will  be  found  to  accord  with 
the  word  of  God. 

It  has  ever  been  the  seductive  way  of  all  human  institu- 
tions, to  m.ake  a  fair  show  by  associating  themselves  with 
certain  undeniable  religious  duties,  and  when  opposed  by 
faithful  men,  to  insist  that  such  things  are  taught  in  the  Holy 
^?criptures.  ^Vhen  they  secure  the  judgment  and  sympathies 
of  the  world  in  their  favor — which  they  soon  do — they  sneer 
contem-ptuously  at  all  those  who  question  their  authority  or 
course.  The  comm.andment  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature  is  plain  and  un.deniab]e.  But  this  commandnient 
was  given  to  individuals,  and  not  to  the  Church  generally. 
But  where  is  the  Scriptural  authority  to  institute  a 
society  collaterally  with  the  Church  for  carrying  out  this 
broad  commandment  ?  AYe  affirm  and  maintain  that  he  who 
gave  the  commandment  likewise  devised  the  plan  for  its 
execution.  This  plan  is  revealed  in  the  Xew  Testament; 
and  is  yet  binding  on  all  who  profess  to  be  governed  by  divine 
ti'uth.  The  old  order  of  Baptists  contend  that  it  is  yet  in 
force;  they  have  traced  it  out  with  great  care,  and  are  able 
to  shovr  it,  to  all  who  have  eyes  to  see  it,  and  hearts,  to 
embrace  it. 

As  the  Scriptural  miode  ^f  preaching  has  its  essential  par-^ 
liculars,  so  must  every  Gospel  minister  be  endowed  with  such 
spiritual  qualifications  as  will  secure  a  conformation  of  heart 
and  p^ractice  with  the  same.    He  must  be  a  Christian  in- 


38  THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

wardly.  2  Cor.  v,  xvii.  His  call  mast  be  of  God.  Rom.  i,  I. 
He  must  be  a  minister  'of  Jesus  Christ,  according  to  the  faith 
of  God's  elect,  and  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth  which  is 
after  Godliness.'  Ti.  i,  1.  With  these  endowments  we  may 
expect  the  preacher  to  conform  to  the  rule  and  practice  laid 
down  in  the  word  of  God;  without  them  he  most  assuredly ■ 

.  will  not.  His  call  is  not  merely  the  external  call  of  the 
Church,  or  only  a  compliance  with  the  literal  commandment ; 
but  he  is  governed  by  a  holy  concern  of  heart  and  con- 
science, which  speaks  out  in  overflowing  fullness.  Wo  is 
unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel!  This  constitutes  the 
'necessity'  of  which  Paul  speaks,  1  Co.  ix,  xvi.  The  minister 
whose  heart  and  conscience  are  exercised  in  this  way  needs 
must  preach;  for  a  'necessity'  is  in  that  way,  laid  upon  him. 
He  feels  assuredly  that  Christ  is  with  him,  though  the  world 
is  against  him.  He  shuns  not  to  declare  all  the  counsel  of 
God,  though  a  part  of  it  is  rejected  by  the  'many.'  He  is  not 
greedy  of  filthy  lucre,  but  having  food  and  raiment  is  there- 
with content.  He  does  not  strive  to  please  men  in  his  min- 
istry, by  suppressing  or  perverting  Gospel  truths.  His  com- 
mission is  to  declare  the  literal  truths  of  the  Gospel  to  all^ 
in  me.ekness  instructing  those  that  oppose  themselves ;  if 

-God  peradventure  will  give  them  repentance  to  the  acknowl- 
edging of  the  truth;'  without  which  he  knows  that  none  will 
receive  his  faithful  declarations  of  it,  but'  reject  it  as  others 
did  of  old.  He  commits  by  faith  his  ministry  to  the  Lord, 
and  conscientiously  watches  the  indications  of  Providence 
and  takes  the  way  thereof;  and  not  the  direction  v/hich  may 
be. prescribed  by  any  human  institution  on  earth.  Faith  rises 
superior  to  the  allurements  of  human  plans,  and  holds  on  its 
way  according  to  the  mode  which  God  has  revealed. 

Many  seem  to  think  that,  as  we  are  not  living  in  the  days 
of  the  apostles  and  miracles,  som.e  other  mode  of  preaching 
should  be  adopted;  which,  if  admitted,  would  justiiy  changes 
in  all  other  things  which  appertain  to  the  Church  of  Christ. 
The  question  then  arises,  are  we  living  in  a  day  when,  ac- 


THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


cording  to  human  policy,  we  sliould  embrace  the  Lord's  Vv'ay, 
as  revealed  in  the  Xew  Testament,  or  adopt  some  other 
which  may  suit  the  times  better?  Gospel  truths,  and  con- 
sequently all  true  Gospel  ministers  likewise,  have  ever  been 
at  issue  with  the  times,  and  ever  will  be;  and  he  that  at- 
tempts to  conform  the  Gospel  thereto,  will  change  it  into" 
'another  Gospel,'  and  pervert  a  great  design  in  it,  which  is 
this,  to  reprove  and  correct  the  times,  and  not  to  be  governed, 
by  them,  as,  alas  !  many  w^ho  preach  'another  Gospel'  are.  - 
Were  it  revealed  any  where  in  the  word  of  God,  that 
temporal  powers  could,  in  any  age,  take  the  place  of  mira- 
cles ;  human  wisdomx,  the  office  of  the  wisdom  of  God;  a  call 
from  a  ?>lissionary  society,  the  place  of  a  divine  call ;  and 
human  foresight,  precedence  of  God's  Providence  and  guid- 
ance ;  then,  and  not  until  then,  would  human  institutions  for 
preaching  answer.  We  know  that  no  such  things  are 
authorized  by  the  lloiy  Scriptures;  and  we  also  know  that 
just  such  a  course  of  things  developed  anti-christ  and  yet 
sustains  him  ! 

We  believe  and  contend  that  God  is  united  to  his  Church 
by  his  Spirit,  by  his  truth,  and  by  his  providence,  and  that  he 
leads  by  his  Spirit,  which  must  be  in  agreement  with  his 
divine  plans.  Rom.  viii,  14.  He  certainly  will  lead  literally 
by  his  word,  when  he  leads  spiritually  by  his  power.  The 
divine  arr^angement  for  preaching  the  Gospel  does,  by  no 
means,  suit  the  judgment,  taste  and  feelings  of  the  'natural 
man.'  It  rejects,  in  too  great  a  degree,  human  wisdom, 
learning  and  policy,  a.3  well  a.3  pride,  ambition  and  boasting, 
and  involves  the  faith  of  God's  elect,  in  the  employment  of 
the  plain  means  w-hich  God  has  ordained.  The  preacher, 
mode  of  preaching  and  means  must  be  brought  into  spiritual 
agreement,  which  nothing  short  of  grace  in  the  soul  can 
affect;  hence  the  reason  why  theological  schools  and  Mis- 
sionary societies  cannot  qualify  an  individual  for  preaching 
the  Gospel  on  the  Lord's  plan. 

And  yet,  strange  to  relate,  many  insist  that,  as  the  Church 


40 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


is  not  endowed  with  miraculous  gifts,  as  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  human  substitutes  for  them  should  be  emploj^ed,  by 
means  of  men's  institution  !  The  divine  plan  is  yet  in  force 
for  although  itc  external  signs  of  miracles  have  passed  away, 
yet  its  internal  vitality,  force  and  economy  have  been  con- 
tinued, whereby  the  revealed  word  shall  accomplish  the 
pleasure  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  where- 
unto  he  may  send  it.  Isa.  Iv,  11.  The  world's  different  plans 
required  a  great  amount  of  preaching,  of  talent,  of  policy,  of 
money,  and  of  labor,  in  order  to  deveiope  anti-Christ.  The 
very  perfection  of  human  plans,  when  adopted  irrespectively 
of  the  Lord's,  may  be  clearly  seen  in  the  rise,  development 
and  progress  of  the  'man  of  sin,'  as  well  as  the  sad  conse- 
quences of  adopting  any  other  mode  of  propagating  the 
Gospel  than  that  which  is  sanctioned  by  the  sacred  record 
itself. 

If  a  rigid  adherence  to  scriptural  rules  for  disseminating 
Gospel  truths  had  been  always  observed,  anti-Christ  could 
not  have  been  revealed;  his  revelation  required  'another 
Gospel'  as  well  as  another  mode  of  preaching.  Even  since,  a 
ministerial  course  of  the  right  kind  would  have  prevented 
many  protestant  innovations,  and  excluded  many  hurtful 
heresies  from  the  Church  of  Christ. 

It  is  to  be  feared,  many  suppose,  that  Scriptural  rules 
amount  to  nothing  more  than  mere  modality  ;  and  that  they 
are  not  essentially  necessary,  intimating  thereby  that  human 
plans  are  as  good  as  divine  ones !  There  must  be  a  spiritual 
adaptation  of  the  minister's  heart  to  the  Lord's  way  of 
preaching  or  it  will  not  be  adopted;  but  on  the  contrary, 
some  other,  which  is  more  congenial  to  'flesh  and  blood.' 
The  Lord's  method  signifies  a  great  deal  and  is  infinitely  su- 
perior to  all  others.  By  his  plan  all  false  preachers,  hirelings, 
archbishops,  priests,  and  popes  w^ould  be  excluded  from  the 
Christian  ministry!  The  hireling's  wages,  the  archbishop's 
legal  rates,  the  priest's  gains,  and  the  pope's  revenue,  could 


1 


THE  OLD   BAPTIST  TEST. 


not  be  raised,  in  accordance  with  the  Lord's  method  of 
preaching. 

Even  modern  Missionary  operations  suggest  the  great 
question  :  Shall  we  take  Christ,  his  apostles,  and  disciples  as 
models  and  practical  expositors  of  the  divine  mode,  or  mod- 
ern Missionaries?    Let  us  see. 

One  of  the  worst  '  signs  of  the  times'  is  the  little  respect 
which  is  paid  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  things  which  are 
therein  revealed.  He  who  contends  for  a  strict  construction 
of  the  word  of  God  in  regard  to  all  things  which  accompany 
salvation  is  wantonly  ridiculed,  or  openly  laughed  at !  He  is., 
said  to  be  behind  the  times,  which  saying  involves  many 
absurdities.  All  plans  for  preaching,  devised  on  human  au- 
thority, require  the  aid  of  adventitious  institutions  for  their, 
fulfillment.  The  Church  organization  according  to  Gospel 
rules  v/ill  not  admit  such  plans,  hence  the  forthcoming  of  Mis- 
sionary institutions  among  the  baptists.  No  one  can  show 
from  the  history  of  the  Church  that  it  has  ever,  in  any  age, 
or  in  any  country,  been  benefitted  by  incorporating  any 
human  institution  with  itself ;  but  many  instances  can  be  ad^ 
duced  of  the  Church  having  been  seriously  injured  by  the  like ; 
and  of  its  being  greatly  improved  by  castino-  off  such  things. 
I  am  aware  that  many  think  there  is  no  danger  or  harm  in 
Missionary  societies,  supposing  they  are  doing  just  such 
things  as  the  word  of  God  commands.  Take  the  least  ex- 
ceptionable of  all  of  them,  a  Baptist  Missionary  society,  for 
example;  and  we  shall  see  there  is  no  authority  in  the  Bible 
for  its  establishment.  The  divine  method  of  preaching  does"' 
not  embrace  such  an  institution,  with  its  adjuncts,  theological 
schools,  officers,  funds  and  general  rules.  Any  institution 
added  to,  or  incorporated  with,  the  Church  of  God  implies  a 
belief,  on  the  part  of  those  concerned,  that  the  divine  organ- 
ization of  the  Church  is  defective,  and  that  such  defects  must 
be  provided  for  by  instituting  human  measures,  such  as  Mis- 
sionary societies,  theological  schools,  levies  on  public  charity, 
and  the  enactment  of  constitutions  and  by  laws  for  their  gov- 


42 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


ernment,  and  the  creation  ofa  host  of  officers — all  of  which 
was  unknown  to  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians.  For 
instance,  the  Scriptural  organization,  in  the  estimation  of 
such,  is  defective  in  its  requisitions  for  learning,  funds,  titles 
and  fame.  These,  then,  must,  in  their  judgment,  be  secured 
to  the  Church  by  means  of  human  institutions;  and  in  that 
way  the  doctrine  of  the  Cross  is  compromised  for  the  world's 
good  opinion,  honors,  and  titles.  No  one,  whose  heart  is  set 
upon  these  things,  will  think  of  preaching  the  unpopular  and 
often  offensive  truths  of  the  Bible,  lest  peradventure  he  should 
lose  the  world's  good  opinion,  and  bring  down  upon  himself 
that  persecution  which  always  attends  faithful  preaching. 
Through  these  institutions,  they  necessarily  learn  to  shun  '  to 
declare  all  the  counsel  of  God.'  Passing  down  the  street  this 
morning  I  accidentally  overheard  one  man  say  to  another, 
Don't  tell  all  the  truth  about  that  matter  if  you  can  get 
around  it,"  and  the  other  said,  "I  did  not  intend  to  do  so."  This 
reminds  me  of  Satan's  tempting  the  popular  preacher  not  to 
tell  all  the  truth  "if  he  can  get  around  it,"  which  he  generally 
manages  to  do,  by  cunning  craftiness.  But  the  Lord's  preach- 
er has  been  sworn  in  the  spiritual  Court  above,  and  if  he 
were  to  shun  to  tell  all  the  truth,  or  were  to  attempt  to  get 
around  it,  would  not  his  conscience  accuse  him  of  spiritual 
perjury?  For,  in  accordance  with  this  plan,  men's  pockets 
as  v/ell  as  hearts  must  be  reached ;  and  if  their  religious 
views  be  opposed  too  honestly  they  will  be  offended ;  and  if 
their  vanity,  as  natural  men  be  wounded,  they  will  not  con- 
tribute so  largely;  to  say  the  least,  these  institutions  require 
many  modifications  of  the  Gospel  mode  of  preaching.  It  has 
become  unfashionable  to  insist  on  a  call  to  the  ministry;  to 
pray  to  the  Lord  to  send  forth  laborers  into  his  vineyard;  to 
trust  in  a  special  Providence;  or  expect  success  beyond  the 
limits  of  worldly  means  \ 

The  Church  should  certainly  give  her  fellowship,  her  over- 
sight, and  assistance  to  all  and  every  one  who  may  profess  a 
call  to  preach  for  heathen  or  any  others.    But,  says  one,  none 


THE  OLD   BAPTIST  TEST.      '  4^ 

would  be  willing  to  go  in  that  wa}' ;  and  in  reph',  I  must  re- 
mark, if  none  are  willing  to  go  in  that  way,  it  is  a  bad  sign,  or 
omen  for  the  Heathen.  It  was  truly  a  bad  omen  when  none 
were  willing  to  go  on  the  Lord's  plan,  to  those  countries 
where  the  Eoman  Catholics  propagated  ihei-r  Gospel,  on  their 
Missionary  plans.  The  results  prayed  it;  and  may  not  the' 
final  results  of  all  preaching  on  other  plans  beside  those  of 
the  Ne^y  Testament  be  yery  different  from  what  many  now 
suppose? 

Let  none  infer,  for  a  moment,  that  yre  are  opposed  to  teach- 
ing Heathen  the  word  of  God,  or  that  we  would  hinder  any 
one  from  preaching  among  them.  Like  Paul,  we  rejoice  that 
Christ  is  preached  among  them  by  Missionaries  or  any  others, 
eyen  if  such  preaching  should  add  to  our  reproach,  though  ■ 
we  ourselyes  Ayould  not,  for  the  wealth  of  such  countries, . 
preach  from  improper  motiyes,  or  in  accordance  with  human- 
ly deyised  plans.    Phil.  1,  16. 

Arminianism  is  not  in  her  pupilage,  but  has  long  since  ta- 
ken the  highest  degrees  of  all  earthly  institutions,  and  pre- 
sides oyer  all  of  them,  giying  lay\'s,  spirit  and  power  to  each 
and  eyery  one.  From  her  high  places  she  proudly  wayes  her 
ayaunt  to  all  Gospel  measures  not  in  alliance  with  herself. 
She  has  done  many  wonderful  things  in  all  ages  and  coun- 
tries, and  will,  doubtless,  make  many  broad  and  deep  marks' 
in  other  lands  in  future  times. 

It  is  said  the  work  of  modern  Missionaries  is  a  g.f-eat  one 
and  should  not  be  opposed  b}^  us  in  our  pulpits.  To  which 
we,  in  turn,  reply,  by  asking  a  significant  question  :  "What  are 
we  to  ?ay  when  the  subject  of  preaching  requires  a  pulpit- 
exposition  ?  Shall  we  declare  the  Lord's  way,  or  the  deyices 
of  men?  Both  are  before  us,  highly  antagonistic  to  each 
other,  and  which  shall  we  teach?  We  feel  conscientiously 
bound  to  contend  for  the  Lord's  way  in  all  rehgious  affairs 
whatc  yer;  and  we  should  think  yery  strangely  of  the  reproach- 
es which  we  incur  by  so  doing,  were  it  not  for  the  declarations 
of  Christ  himself  in  regard  to  the  subject. 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

■  Suppose  that  all  nations  were  taught  the  literal  truths  of 
the  Gospel,  what  would  then  be  necessary  ?  Would  a  'demon- 
stration of  the  Spirit'  take  any  other  way  but  that  of  election, 
predestination  and  foreordination  ?  If  not,  something  besides 
preaching  is  essentially  necessary,  by  which  we  discover  that 
preaching  is  different  from  all  other  kinds  of  public  speaking. 
Its  success  depends  more  on  the  election  and  foreordination  of 
God  than  anything  else.  As  the  divine  election,  grace, 
mercy  and  the  quickening  of  the  spirit,  are  concerned  in 
successful  preaching,  we  think  it  quite  reasonable  that  we 
should  study  the  Lord's  method  of  preaching  his  word,  and 
adopt  it  in  preference  to  all  others.  Christ  had  stated  the  fact 
before  his  death,  that  he  had  other  sheep,  other  chosen  ones, 
who  did  not  belong  to  the  Jewish  fold ;  and  that  he  would 
bring  them  into  his  Spiritual  kingdom.  These  were  scattered 
throughout  all  the  nations  of  the  world;  hence  it  was  necessa- 
ry to  enlarge  the  commission  for  preaching,  as  he  did  at  the 
time  of  his  ascension.  The  apostles,  acting  under  this  com- 
mission, preached  the  Gospel  to  all  the  world,  and  the  result 
was,  the  elect  strangers,  according  to  Peter,  were  brought 
in  from  many  countries.  John  x,  16;  Mark  xvi,  15, 16;  Pet. 
1,1. 

With  such  evidences  of  Christ's  regard  for  these  'other 
sheep,'  and  with  his  avowal  to  bring  them  in,  can  we  suppose, 
for  a  moment,  that  God  has  withdrawn  his  special  Provi- 
dence from  his  elect  ?  Will  he  not,  in  his  own  way,  raise  up, 
qualify  and  send  ministers  to  go  and  preach  to  them,  let 
them  be  where  they  may  :  and  if  so,  will  he  not  pursue  his 
own  way  ! 

But,  says  one,  the  commandment  Avas  to  preach  to  every 
creature.  Very  true,  we  admit,  and  when  the  Lord  sent  forth 
servants  willing  to  do  so  on  his  own  plan,  wonderful,  indeed, 
were  the  results.  But  when  others,  since  that  day,  have  at- 
tempted the  same  thing,  in  ways  of  their  own,  how  very  dif- 
ferent have  been  the  consequences  ! 

I  repeat,  that  we  are  willing  to  give  our  fellowship  and  as- 


THE  OLD   BAPTIST  TEST.        \^  .^S' 

Bistance  to  any  who  may  profess  a  call  to  preach  to  any  peo- 
ple, in  accordance  with  Gospel  rales.  But  the  objector  says, 
none  are  willing  to  go  in  that  way ;  and  we  reply,  if  not,  the 
way  of  God  i^  the  matter  has  not  been  recognized  in  demon- 
stration of  the  Spirit,  in  power  and  in  full  spiritual  assurance. 
The  sentiment.  Woe  unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel  to  the 
Heathen,  has  not  taken  full  possession^  of  the  soul,  if  there  be 
no  confidence  in  the  divine  mode.  The  most  favorable  sign 
for  the  Heathen  would  be  to  have  the  Gospel  carried  to  them 
by  men  who  were  willing  to  preach  to,  and  labor  among  them, 
in  the  way  which  the  New  Testament  enjoins;  and  the  most 
unfavorable,  to  behold  it  going  forth  in  the  ways  of  human  de- 
vices. 

'Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature,'  are  words  replete  with  Spiritual  signification.  They 
are  divinely  associated  with  the  power,  blessings,  and  grace, 
v/hich  will  work  out  their  fulfillment.  Matt.  xxviii,20;  1  Cor. 
XV,  10.  The  Gospel  Church  differs  from  all  civil,  benevolent, 
and  literary  societies  in  the  world.  It  is  a  divine  institution, 
which  is  practically  amenable  only  to  the  word  of  God,  and 
to  none  of  the  popular  adjuncts  of  the  day.  Our  Missionary 
brethren  cannot  carry  out  tlieir  plans  of  preaching  without  some  " 
of  these  hurtful  adjuncts.  These  have  divided  us,  and  but  for 
them,  we  might  now  have  been  united  doctrinall}^  and  practi- 
cally in  the  ekklesia  tou  theou,  w^herein  all  Christians  may 
unite,  and  maintain  the  doctrine,  ordinances  and  command- 
ments of  the  Lord  free  from  the  interference  of  human  insti- 
tutions. Will  our  Missionary  brethren  meet  us  there  ?  Have 
they  kept  the  faith  of  God's  elect?  Have  they  become  tired  of 
their  Arminian  Institutions?  Whenever  the}^  shall  respond 
yea,  to  these  interrogatories,  we  will  feel  bound  to  reunite  with 
them,  provided  the  vexatious  subject  of  re-baptism  can  be  set- 
tled among  us  on  the  broad  principles  of  the  Gospel.  At  pres- 
ent we  cannot  own,  nor  can  we  disown  them  as  brethren  in  the 
Lord  !  Although  our  relations  to  each  other  are  not  as  antag- 
onistic as  heretofore,  yet  they  are  by  no  means  such  as  we 
would  have  them  be. 


46  ■  THE  OLD '  BAPTIST  TEST. 

Another  very  common  objection  to  these  people  is  that  of 
their  being  so  frequently  disturbed  by  heresies,  contentions 5 
and  divisions.  These  things  constitute  plain  characteristics 
of  the  peculiar  people  of  the  Lord.  Let  us  see  if  they  do  not: 
'For  there  must  also  be  hereies  among  you,  that  they  which 
are  approved  may  be  made  manifest  among  you.'  1  Cor.  xij 
19.  'Also  of  your  own  selves  shall  men  arise,  speaking  per- 
verse things  to  draw  away  disciples  after  them.'  Act  xx,  30, 
'Ye  should  earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  once  delivered  unto 
the  Saints.'  Jude  3.  'Now  we  command  you,  brethren,  irithe 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  ye  withdraw  yourselves 
from  every  brother  that  walketh  disorderly,  and  not  after  tlie  tra- 
dition w^hich  he  received  of  us.'  2  Thes.  iii,  6.  'A  man  that  is 
an  heretic,  after  the  first  and  second  admonition,  reject.'  Titus 
iii,  10. 

With  the  facts  before  us,  that  there  must  be  heresies  among 
Christians,  whereby  approved  ones  are  made  manifest;  that 
we  are  commanded  to  contend  earnestly  for  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel ;  a,nd  that  we  should  withdraw  from  those  who  walk 
not  after  apostolic  tradition ;  how  can  we  expect  to  escape 
these  things  which  are  urged  against  us?  Nothing  short  of  a 
compromise  with  heresy,  and  a  neglect  of  im.perative  Gospel 
duties,  could  exempt  the  Church  of  God  from  such  things. 

'It  is  impossible  but  that  offences  will  come,'  says  Christ; 
The  Church  in  its  present  relations  to  the  world  cannot  possi- 
bly avoid  them,  unless  it  does  so  by  unscriptural  measures. 
Let  none  suppose  that  we  glory  in  such  things  ;  no,  far  from 
doing  so;  we  have  suffered  too  much  from  them  to  rejoice  in 
anything  of  the  kind.  Nor  do  we  provoke  such  things,  but  by 
all  law^ful  means  avoid  them  ;  but  when  they  do  come,  we  try 
to  meet  them  with  aright  spirit,  and  in  a  Scriptural  way. 

Arminians  object  to  them,  because  they,  forsooth,  believe 
in  the  great  doctrine  of  predestination  and  election.  This  ob- 
jection is  fully  met  in  the  Bible,  as  it  plainly  testifies  of  'the 
faith  of  God's  elect.'  A  belief  in  the  election  of  God  is  in 
perfect  agreement  with   the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  so  any  objec- 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.        \  47 

tion  predicated  of  election.  vriH  apply  vrith  equal  lorce  to 
Christ  and  his  apostles.  The  only  point  in  the  case  then,  is  the 
difference  in  the  persons  against  whom  the  objection  is  now 
entertained.  There  are  many  objections  against  these  peo- 
ple, ^vhicli,  when  examined  into  would  be  found  in  agreement 
with  the  Bible  signs  of  the  Lord's  people,  but  I  shall  not 
trouble  myself  or  the  reader  about  them,  at  present;  but  treat 
of  som.e 

ERRORS  OF  MIS  APPREHENSION . 

1.  Many  infer  that  they  are  opposed  to  colleges,  nniversities 
and  literary  institutions  generally,  because  of  their  opposition 
to  theological  schools;  but  this  is  not  the  case.  They  are  de- 
cidedly in  favor  of  hum.an  learning  and  educational  means,  as 
far  as  they  relate  to  worldly  things;  but  for  a  correct  under- 
standing of  divine  things,  they  go  to  the  Bible,  which  teaches 
divinely  and  not  humanly.  If  the  Holy  Sriptures  enjoined 
the  establishment  of  theological  schools  for  the  guidance  of  the 
Church  in  religious  affairs,  they  would  be  found  doing  greater 
things  for  their  promotion  than  many  who  are  engaged  in 
them. 

2.  Because  they  will  not  commune  y/ith  other  denominations, 
somxe  think  they  do  not  believe  there  are  any  real  Christians 
among  them,  than  which  a  much  greater  misapprehension  could 
not  be  entertained.  They  believe  there  are  good  Christians 
in  all  Protestant  denominations,  but  cannot  commune  with 
them  at  the  Lord's  table  without  compromising  the  ordinance 
of  baptism,  which  they  dare  not  do. 

3.  It  is  erroneously  believed  by  many  that  they  have  no  con- 
cern about  the  unconverted,  as  they  stand  aloof  to  some  of  the 
modern  means  of  converting  sinners.  This  is  also  a  misap- 
prehension; for  they  employ  all  the  Scriptural  m^eans  for  that 
purpose;  at  least  their  doctrine  emxbraces  them.  They,  how- 
ever, make  a  Scriptural  distinction  between  the  duties  of  men 
and  the  work  of  God.  They  perform,  their  duty  by  faith,  trust- 
ing more  in  the  Lord  than  in  their  own  efforts.  They  do  not 
expect,  like  many,  to  succeed  by  virtue  of  their  great  efforts. 


"}-^^^*  THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

,  '  ;  . .  Tiiey  do  not  predicate  the  conversion  of  sinners  on  human  ef- 
.    fort,  but  on  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  ;  the  way  of  which,, 
however,  involves  certain  Scriptural  duties  to  the  unregenerat-. 
ed,  which  they  are  willing  to  perform  in  faith. 

4.  As  they  do  not  become  members  of  temperance  societies, 
many  conclude  that  there  are  many  drunkai^ds  among  them. 
But  this  is  an  erroneous  conclusion.  They  exclude  drunkards 
from  their  churches,  whenever  it  is  ascertained  that  the  discip- 

-  line  of  the  Church  will  not  reform  them.  Some,  who  have 
been  excluded  from  our  churches,  continue  to  get  drunk,  and 
are,  by  many,  regarded  as  still  belonging  to  our  communion  ; 
and  thus,  mistakenly,  they  suppose  we  tolerate  drunkenness 
among  ourselves. 

5.  They  are  charged  with  indifference  about  the  state  of  the 
Heathen,  because  they  do  not  institute  Missionary  societiea 
for  sending  the  Gospel  to  them.  The  things  to  be  inferred 
from  this  objection  are:  1.  That  the  Church  of  God,  w^hen 
fully  organized  on  Gospel  principles,  does  not  admit  of  sym- 
pathy for  the  Heathen.  2.  That  some  adventitious  society 
must  be  maintained  for  that  purpose.  3.  That  they  who  do 
not  become  members  of  such  societies  cannot  feel  any  concern 
for  the  state  of  the  Heathen. 

This  transfer  of  action,  from  the  Church  to  benevolent  insti- 
tutions,  for  the  conversion  of  Pagans,  implies  a  want  of  con- 
fidence in  the  divine  organization  of  the  Church — indicating 
also  a  belief  that  human  benevolence,  in  its  Missionary  allot- 
ments can  do  more  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  than  the  . 
means  which  God  has  ordained!  It  is  not  only  worthy  of  re- 
mark, but  of  great  regard,  that  the  Church  in  its  practical  order 
excludes  Arminianism,  and  maintains  the  doctrine  of  grace. 
When  the  foregoing  views  are  either  privately  or  publicly  ex- 
pressed some  misapprehend  them,  and  conclude  that  we  are 
.  opposed  to  the  'spread  of  the  Gospel,'  as  they  term  it.  This 
we  deny,  but  acknowledge  that  we  have  made  a  broad  issue 
with.  Arminianism,  even  in  its  fascinating  Missionary  forms. 
We  will  not  act  so  inconsistently  as  to  deny  and  condemn  it, 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


4? 


and  tlien  exalt  and  incorporate  it  with  our  churches,  by  uni- 
ting them  with  any  of  its  modern  institutions. 

But  as  the  institutions  of  Arminians  are  far  more  popular* 
than  those  of  the  Bible,  we  do  not  expect  to  be  patiently  heard; 
and  fully  understood  by  any  except  those  who  have  'ears  tC' 
hear'  and  hearts  to  understand. 

G.  As  we  are  opposed  to  all  modes  of  ministerial  support,  ex- 
cept those  \vhich  are  taught  in  the  New  Testament,  many  con- 
clude that  we  are  opposed  to  ministerial  contributions  of  all' 
kinds.  This  is  another  misapprehension;  for  we  constantly 
contend  for  the  divine  plan  in  these  things  also;  which  when 
fully  executed  answers  all  the  purposes  of  s:racc^  hoAvever  short 
it  m^y  come  of  the  demands  of  Arminlanism!. 

Because  we  do  not  sprinkle  infants,  and  receive  tHem  into 
our  Church,  another  error  of  misapprehension  is  entertained^ 
by  many  that  we,  to  use  their  own  language/preach  infants  to- 
hell!"  We  very  seldom  say  any  thing  in  our  pulpits  about 
them,  as  our  commission  does  not  embrace  them,  as  subjects 
of  Gospel  address.  They  are  incapable  of  believing  the  gos- 
pel, and  of  receiving,  by  faith,  any  of  its  spiritual  blessings. . 
But  observe,  w^e  do  not  say,  they  cannot  receive  Spiritual 
blessings  without  faith;  but  on  the  contrary,  believe  they  are 
saved  by  grace,  through  Jesus  Christ,  v.dthout  Church  ordinan- 
ces, and,  I  will  add,  without  sprinkling;  vdthout  Catholic  or 
Protestant  ceremonies  of  any  kind!  Our  doctrine  secures  to 
them  the  blessings  of  grace  without  faith,  and  yet  maintains^ 
that  as  'desh  and  blood  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,'  the}; 
must  be  changed — must  be  made,  through  Spiritual  blessings, 
new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus. 

7.  Another  error  of  misapprehension,  and,  by  the  by,  a  very 
common  one,  is,  that  as  we  profess  to  be  saved  by  grace,  we 
believe  a  life  of  holiness  unneccessary.  This  opinion  is  the 
fruit  of  a  wrong  apprehension  of  the  doctrine  of  grace,  for  the 
way  of  grace  is  a  way  of  holiness;  without  grace  there  could 
be  no  holiness:  without  holiness  no  grace.  Make  the  tree  ' 
good  and  the  fruit  will  be  good — make  the  man  'a  new  crea.- 
4 


50 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


ture  in  Christ,'  and  lie  Avill  love,  serve,  and  worship  him: — 
give  him  a  nev/ heart,  and  he  will  walk  in  newness  of  life. 
Let  him  be  led  by  the  spirit  of  God,  and  he  will  follow  in  the 
way  of  obedience.  When  God  works  in  the  soul  both  'to  will 
and  to  do,'  the  fruit  will  be  holiness  of  life,  most  assuredly. 
Christian  obedience  is  a  fruit  of  election.  1  Pet.  i,  2.  Our 
doctrine  does,  by  no  means,  exclude  practical  Godliness,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  evidences  its  Spiritual  influence  on  the  poul 
in  the  production  of  those  good  works  which  God  has  comman- 
ded all  Christians  to  maintain.  These  works,  it  is  true,  do  not 
save  us;  they  are  only  evidences  of  our  being  saved  by  the  Lord; 
the  things  which  accompany  salvation.  The  doctrines 
taught  by  us  may  be  highly  objected  to  by  many,  but  let 
none  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  it  compromises  holiness  of 
heart  or  life.  On  the  contrary,  it  secures  the  only  foundation 
for  practical  Christianity  which  can  be  firmly  fixed  in  the 
soul. 

8.  For  the  want  of  a  Scriptural  knowledge  of  grace,  and  of 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  we  are  accused  of  inconsistencies. 
V/e  have  often  heard  certain  persons  say,  if  they  believed  the 
things  which  we  do,  they  ^vouid  not  exhort  believers  to  per- 
form their  duties,  or  sinners  to  repent.  They  do  not  perceive 
how  such  ex:hortations  and  warnings  may  be  transformed  by 
the  power  of  God  into  grace  itself! 

By  our  doctrine  we  are  encouraged  to  exhort  sinners,  for  we, 
by  faith,  look  to  the  grace  which  sanctions  it,  and  seals  it  often 
on  the  heart, 

If  these  be  the  means  of  grace,  let  us  employ  them,  though 
we  may  often  fail  in  the  use  of  them,  in  our  own  strength. 

There  is  a  palpable  difference  between  a  literal  declaration 
of  Gospel  truths  by  the  minister  and  a  demonstration  of  them 
by  the  Holy  Spirit;  the  former  is  general  and  the  latter  special. 
Nor  does  the  speciality  of  the  one  interfere  with  the  generality 
of  the  other.  A  supposition  that  these  conflict  with  each  other 
has  induced  many  to  conclude  that  we  violate  oar  doctrine 
whenever  wx  exhort;  but  such  a  conclusion  is  very  erroneous. 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  -  5l 

Tiie  Gospel  must  be  preaclied,  in  its  literal  fallness,  to  all, 
though  a  'demonstration  of  the  Spirit"  be  confined  to  a  chosen 
few.    Matt.  XX,  15,  22;  chap,  xxii,  16;  1  Tlies.  i,  5. 

Other  errors  of  misapprehension  might  be  corrected,  but  I 
must  forbear,  and  proceed  to  perform  the  incumbent  duty  of 
writing  out  some  just 

ADMTSSIOXS, 

1.  Painful  and  unpleasant  as  it  may  be  to  confess  our  errors, 
and  improprieties,  amounting,  in  some  instances,  to  denomi- 
national sins,  yet  to  do  so  well  accords  with  the  word  of  God. 
We  are  great,  sticklers  for  the-  Holy  Scriptures;  we  deduce  our 
doctrinal  creed  from  them  with  great  care,  but  do  not  conform' 
our  lives  to  their  practical  precepts  as  we  should.  This  want 
of  practical  conformity  is  not  as  greats  after  all,  as  many  sup- 
pose; for  there  is  so  much  Pharisaism  everywhere,  that  many 
of  them  have  become  too  indifferent  to  outward  appearances. 
They  seem  to  have  forgotten  the  exhortation  to  'abstain  from 
all  appearance  of  evil.'    1  Thess.  v,  22. 

2.  They  have  been  much  opposed,  greatly  misapprehended, 
and  unjustly  reproached  by  the  leading  members  of  other  de- 
nominations. These  provocations  have  sometimes  caused 
them  to  forget  the  proper  modes  of  Christian  warfare,  as  well 
as  the  weapons  to  be  employed  in  the  good  fight  of  faith. 
They  have  not,  in  agreement  Vvdth  the  divine  commandm.ent. 
instructed  such  in  m.eekness,  love  and  faith,  at  all  times,  but 
have  used  harsh  words,  shown  a  wrong  spirit,  and  indulged 
hurtful  strife.  The  Scriptural  truths  that  all  men  have  not, 
faith;  that  the  deaf  cannot  hear;  that  the  blind  cannot  see,  are. 
for  the  moment,  forgotten;  and  also  that  the  Wa}^  of  meekness 
and  faith  alone  has  respect  to  the  ^peradventure'  that  God 
may  'give  them  repentance  to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth.' 
2 Tim.  ii,  25. 

3.  That  in  consequence  of  learned  men  having  brought  in 
hurtful  heresies  among  them,  they  have  too  little  regard  for 
human  teaching  ia  divine  things.    They  do  not,  therefore. 


52 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TE-ST. 


profit,  as  much  as  they  might  do,  by  reading  the  writings  of 
learned  and  orthodox  divines.  Nor  do  they  avail  themselves 
of  the  valuable  truths  of  learned  commentators  as  they 
could,  with  but  little  cost. 

4.  I  admit  with  frankness,  but  with  pain  of  heart,  that  they 
do  not  cultivate  those  brotherly  regards  so  particularly  en- 
joined in  the  word  of  God. 

5.  They  are  too  much  inclined  to  contend  for  scriptural 
particulars  in  the  letter,  and  then  neglect  their  practical 
fulfillment. 

6.  Humiliating  as  may  be  the  concession,  yet  it  should  be 
made,  they  culpably  neglect  the  duties  which  they  owe  their 
ministers !  many  of  whom  are  greatly  restricted  in  their 
ministerial  course  by  such  neglect. 

7.  Some  are  too  covetous  ! — a  fact  w^hich  must  be  admitted. 

8.  Some  forsake  the  assembling  of  themselves  at  places  of 
public  worship. 

9.  In  view  of  the  Pharisaical  course  of  many  in  regard  to  - 
'temperance,'  they  have  become  too  unguarded  in  taking  their 
drams,  forgetting  that  they  ought  to  abstain  from  all  appear- 
ance of  evil.  No  baptist  can  take  a  glass  of  wine,  or  of 
brandy,  in  a  public  drinking  house,  without  exposing 
himself,  as  well  as  the  church,  to  the  reproach  of  drunken- 
ness. 

10.  The  pride  and  folly  of  building  costly  edifices  by  other 
denominations  for  public  worship,  has  made  them  too  careless 
about  the  comforts  of  their  own  houses  of  worship. 

11.  Some  of  them  cannot  'endure'  sound  practical  preach- 
ing ! 

12.  They  do  not,  in  their  intercourse  with  each  other,  make 
the  necessa^ry  allowances  for  the  difi'erent  States  of  chris- 
tians. The  strong  do  not  bear  with  the  weak  as  they  should. 
The  man  of  full  stature  in  Christ  Jesus  does  not  always  deal 
with  the  'babe' in  christian  tenderness.  The  sincere  milk  of 
the  word  is  not  dealt  out  to  such  as  constantly  as  it  should  be. 


THE   OLD   BAPTIST  TEST.  SB 

They  are  required  often  to  partake  of  the  strong  meats  of  the 
Gospel,,  and  reproached  if  they  do  not.  He  that  is  overtaken 
in  a  fault  is  often  more  likely  to  be  exposed  and  reproached 
than  to  be  restored  in  meekness.  Many  of  the  practical 
rules,  so  mercifully  and  appropriately  given  for  the  maintain- 
ance  of  church  fellowship,  are  too  frequently  violated. 

13.  Some  of  our  m.inisters  confine  themselves  in  their 
preaching  loo  much  to  specialities,  and  fail  to  declare  all  the 
counsel  of  God.  especially  in  regard  to  practical  godliness. 

14.  They  do  not  itinerate  Qnough,  nor  do  they  preach  as 
often  as  they  should  to  their  respective  charges. 

15.  They  fail,  in  some  instances,  to  stud\'  to  show  them- 
selves approved  unto  God  and  the  church. 

These  admissions  do  not,  however,  exclude  the  hope  of 
better  things,  even  the  things  which  accompany  salvation. 
Heb.  iv,  8. 

These  very  admissions,  alas  I  constitute  some  ot- the  signs 
of  the  Lord's  people.  The  exposition  given  of  the  Bible- 
signs  of  the  Lord's  people,  the  objections  answered,  the  errors 
of  misrepresentations  corrected,  and  the  faults  admitted, 
constitute  the  test. 

The  reader  may  judge  of  the  agreement  of  these  thin,£:s 
with  the  Old  Order  of  Baptists,  after  a  iew 

GENERAL  REMARKS- 

In  conclusion,  I  ask  to  whom  do  these  tests  apply?  they 
are  plain  and  undeniable  deductions  from  the  sacred  record 
of  God's  people,  and  are  unlike  mere  conclusions,  logi-' 
cally  deduced  from  questionable  premises.  As  long  as 
the  authority  of  the  Bible  is  adm^itted,  the}^  must  be  also. 
But  alas  !  special  regard  for  the  word  of  the  Lord  has  not 
been  prom^oted  by  modern  usages.  The  numierous  societies 
of  the  day  have  diverted  the  minds  of  many  from  the  cross 
of  Christ.  Unlike  the  apostles,  many  glory  in  such  things, 
instead  of  the  cross  itself.    Gal.  vi,  14. 

The  church  uf  God,  in  its  hoi}'  crganiza,tion,  is  admirably 


54 


THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


adapted  to  the  things  which  Ivation  by  JesHS 

Christ;  while  the  things  instituted  by  men  can  only  suit  the 
changing  forms  and  spirits  of  Arminianism.  The  church 
repudiates  an  alliance  with  them  just  as  she  does  with  civil 
institutions.  The  Church  and  State  must  be  kept  separate  ; 
so  must  the  church  and  Arminian  institutions.  The  church 
of  God  should  not  be  brought  under  the  dominion  of  either. 
Useful  as  civil,  moral,  or  literary  institutions  may  be  when 
well,  adapted  to  proper  ends,  yet  the  church  in  its  sublime 
relations  to  God,  to  time  and  eternity,  will  not  admit  of  being 
incorporated  with  them,  constituting,  as  it  does,  'the  pillar 
and  ground  of  the  truth,'  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice 
for  'God's  elect,'  and  the  very  spiritual  kingdom  which  can 
alone  receive  laws  and  regulations  from  God,  and  from  Him 
only.  The  fact  that  the  church  cannot  be  fully  developed  in 
this  world,  but  requires  heaven  itself  for  its  full  spiritual 
development,  shows  its  divine  origin  and  spiritual  culture  by 
the  Great  'Husbandman,'  who  has  ordained  appropriate  laws 
and  regulations  for  the  same,  which  no  man  should  dare  ta 
change,  annul  or  add  unto. 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  no  attempt  has  been  made  to 
identify  the  peculiarities  of  the  old  order  of  Baptists  of  the 
present  day  with  those  of  any  people  since  the  times  of  the 
apostles.  An  appeal  has  been  made  to  the  sacred  history  of 
the  Lord's  people  and  to  that  alone  in  regard  to  their  charac- 
teristics, as  any  other  history  w^ould  have  lacked  divine 
authority. 

Suppose  that  the  history  of  primitive  christians  had  not 
been  written  by  inspired  writers,  how  very  strangely  would 
they  appear  in  the  historical  writings  of  others.  The  talse 
charges,  gross  misrepresentations  and  malicious  aspersions  of 
their  enemies  have  in  that  way  been  historically  counteracted 
by  the  sacred  record  of  their  faith,  forbearance  and  exem- 
plary lives.  Were  I  to  refer  to  the  history  of  the  Baptists  since* 
the  days  of  the  apostles,  1  would  endeavor  to  trace  them  out 
separately  from  the  multitudes  of  nominal  christians  whose 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST.  '55 

history  has  been  so  copiously  written  by  many.  But  I  have 
neither  time  nor  space  to  do  so  :  in  fact  m.y  subject,  as  propos- 
ed and  discussed,  does  not  make  it  necessary.  I  will,  how- 
ever, just  remark,  that  an  elaborate  historian  amidst  all  his 
ecclesiastical  lumber,  traced  them  back  to  the  remote  depths 
of  antiquity;  and  it'is  probable,  with  a  little  more  fellowship 
and  sympathy  for  them,  he  might  have  identified  them  in 
their  church,  faith  and  practice  v%uth  primitive  baptists  them- 
selves! That  such  a  people  as  those  termed,  from  time  to  time. 
Regular,  Predestinarian,  Particular  and  Old  order  of  Baptist, 
have  existed  as  a  distinct  people  ever  since  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  I  doubt  not  for  a  moment.  Their  history,  it  is  true, 
has  been  very  imperfectly  VvTitten.  They  have  ever  been  a 
'hidden  people/  vrho  can  only  be  spiritually  discerned; — a  poor 
and  afflicted  with  whom  the  circumcised  in  heart  can  alone 
gympathise ; — and  a  'peculiar  people,'  Vvdio  can  alone  be 
heard  by  those  who  have  'ears  to  hear.' 

Who  Vv'as  sufficient  for  these  things?  None,  I  reply,  but 
those  who  wrote  in  the  light  of  heaven  !  Their  names  are 
all  recorded  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  The  very  foundation 
of  Christianity  is  sealed  vdth  God's  prescience  of  them. 
The  Lord  knows  them  that  are  his.  2  Tim.  ii.  19.  "When 
the  great  secrets  of  eternity,  with  respect  to  them  are  reveal- 
ed, they  cam  be  known  only  by  those  who  have  ears  to  hear, 
eyes  to  see,  and  hearts  to  understand  them.    1  Thess.  i,  4. 

Enough  of  their  history  had  been  foreshadov\-ed  by  the  Lord 
and  his  apostles  to  extend  its  great  outlines,  not  only  through 
the  first  centuries  of  Christianity,  but  also  throughout  the 
whole  course  of  time.  It  is  truly  remarkable,  that  if  we  could, 
rightly  interpret  these  prophetic  lights,  they  would  afibrd  an- 
unbroken  chain  of  all  the  leading  events  of  the  Church  of 
God  in  this  world. 

The  immediate  and  urgent  concerns  of  primitive  Christians 
engaged  them  so  constantly,  as  not  to  allow  them  either  time 
or  opportunity  for  VvTiting  a  regular  history  of  themselves. 
While  their  lives,  characters,  property  and  homes  were  in 


56  _  THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

jeopardy  every  moment,  they  could  have  had  but  little  oppor- 
tanity  or  inclination  to  record  the  painful  events  attending 
them.  Their  nominal  history,  as  written  by  othei's  under 
such  circumstances,  could  not  consist  of  anything  else  but  ma- 
licious perversions  of  their  faith  and  lives.  However  greatly 
we  might  have  esteemed  a  faithful  record  of  God's  elect  du- 
ring the  past  ages,  in  all  the  different  countries,  God  has,  in 
his  Providence,  withheld  it.  V/e,  for  the  most  part,  have  on- 
ly '  broken  glimpses'  of  them  as  they  come  up  before  us  in 
general  ecclesiastical  history.  Their  principles  and  usages 
as  Baptists  prevailed  long  before  they  obtained  their  denomxi- 
national  name.  Although  they  are  generally  ranked  among 
the  Protestant  sects,  yet  they  do  not  claim  to  have  been  sece- 
ders  from  Catholicism  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  contend  for  a 
direct  line  of  identity  with  the  Church  in  the  wildexness,  and 
with  primitive  Christians.  It  is  probable  that  they  derived 
the  name  of  P)aptists  about  the  time  they  become  contra  dis- 
tinguished during  the  Reformation,  from  other  sects,  in  conse- 
quence of  maintaining  the  scriptural  mode  of  Baptism.  Be- 
fore this  time  they  were  knov/n  obscurely  among  the  followers 
of  Berengarius,  about  A.  D.  1040,  and  in  A.  D.  1200,  among  the 
Albigenses,  Waldenses,  and  others  of  like  Christian  order. 
About  1663,  a  Church  of  Regular  Baptists  was  constituted 
in  London.  Their  enemies  have  often  tried  to  identif\^  them 
with  the  Ana-Baptists  ;  but  CA^en  the  imperfect  ecclesiastical 
history  of  those  times  shows,  most  conclusively,  that  they  al- 
ways disclaimed  the  fanaticism  of  that  sect. 

Even  their  candid  opposers  admit  the  foregoing  fact.  The 
Baptists  do  not,  like  some  sects,  trace  their  origin  to  the  Re- 
formation, as  it  is  termed.  For,  all  the  while,  before,  during, 
and  since  that  great  work  was  performed,  a  people  of  their 
faith  and  order  have  been  striving,  in  the  face  of  all  opposi- 
tion to  reform  the  looj-Id,  by  maintaining  and  preaching  the 
truths  of  the  Bible.  The  reformers,  on  the  other  hand,  had 
the  reformation  of  their  church — then,  in  another  sense,  the 
whole  world — moreparticularl}^  before  them  as  the  great  object 


THE  OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 


57 


of  their  labors  ;  or  were  engaged  in  seceding  from  the  Roman 
Catholics,  or  in  instituting  different  modes  of  Christian  wor- 
ship from  theirs.  Here  we  have  a  visible  distinction  be- 
tween the  parties. 

Divine  truth  may  be  born  again  and  again,  in  the  persons 
of  the  elect,  after  having  been  martyred  in  the  persons  of 
others.  Christian  baptism  ma}^  be  preached  by  a  few,  after 
having  been  changed  into  another  baptism  bj  many ;  and 
primitive  usages  may  obtain  again  and  again,  after  having 
been  changed  from  time  to  time.  But  none  of  these  divine 
things  can  be  reformed.  The  Reformation  did,  doubtless, 
afford  the  Baptists  a  better  opportunity  of  preaching  the 
Gospel ;  of  setting  forth  extensively  their  doctrine,  their  mode 
of  worship;  and  of  becoming  more  generally  known  by  the 
Protestant  sects,  as  they  have  been  termed  since  the  Reforma- 
tion. • 

But  after  all,  we  should  feel  far  greater  concern  about  iden- 
tifying ourselves  in  our  faith  and  lives,  with  those  whose  his- 
tory is  of  divine  authority.  Let  us  try  our  faith  and  lives  by 
theirs,  and  strive  to  maintain  the  way  thereof  in  all  things. 

Our  doctrine,  we  are  aware,  implicates  the  subject  of  repro- 
bation, or  state  of  the  non-elect,  about  which  I  can  only  make 
a  few  remarks  :  This  is  one  of  the  deep,  unsearchable  things 
of  God,  which  no  man  has  fully  comprehended,  it  pertains  to 
infinite  wisdom,  foreknovvdedge  and  justice,  and  to  the  state  of 
the  non-elect  both  in  time  and  eternity,  as  therewith  connec- 
ted. It  will  require  eternity  itself,  and  not  merel}'  time,  for 
its  exposition.  We  can  only  speak  of  it  in  Scriptural  lan- 
guage and  terms  ;  it  w^ould  be  unsafe  to  deal  with  the  subject 
in  any  other  way. 

To  conclude — let  us  examine  ourselves  as  to  whether  we 
possess,  doctrinally  and  experimentally,  the  Bible  signs  of 
the  Lord's  people  ;  and  if  we  do,  let  us  demonstrate  them 
practically  in  our  lives.    'Therefore,  seeing  we  are  compassed 


58  THE   OLD  BAPTIST  TEST. 

about  by  so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  let  us  lay  aside  every 
weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us,  and  let  us 
run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  us,  looking  unto 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Author  and  FrNisiiER  of  our  faith.' 


■7* 


HERESY. 


FIRST  PART. 
Did  not  a  great  contrariety  of  opinion  exist  among  the 
Old  order  of  Baptists,  in  regard  to  certain  religious  subiects. 
which  have  been  heretofore  so  improperly  made  moot-points 
among  iis,  Vv'e  Vv'ould  not  thus  address  you.  We  would 
be  very  far  from  proposing  such  things  for  your  considera- 
tion and  discussion,  did  they  not  already  prevail  among 
you,  as  topics  of  painful  controversy,  producing  distress- 
ing and  divorcing  results.  Our  aim  i^s  rather  an  endeavor 
to  show,  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  love  and  forbearance,  that 
some  of  our  much  esteemed  Brethren  do  not  interpret  certain 
portions  of  Scriptures  aright — that  their  expositions  lead 
themselves  paid  their  hearers  into  the  Parkerite  heresy  :^  and 
to  rescue  such  texts  as  have,  by  perversions,  been  forced  into 
the  s'jpport  of  that  heresy,  from  such  service. 

Our  design  is  not  to  attack  Parkerism  in  a  regular  way,  but 
to  try,  by  a  fair  and  unsophisticated  showing,  to  prove  that 
such  passages  of  scripture  give  no  support  to  its  new  and 
changing  forms,  which,  if  done  in  "a  right  spirit,"  will,  we 

*The  Manichffin  heresy  as  modified  and  propagated  bv  Elder  Daniel  Parker,  of  - 
Old  Baptist  notoriety ;  and  yet  it  is  due  to  his  memory  to  state,  that  he  was  orthodox, 
for  the  most  part,  on  other  subjects;  and  could  he  have  foreseen  the  sad  effects  of  his 
crude  notions,  even  up  to  this  time ,  among  the  Baptists,  it  is  very  probable  lis 
"w-ould  never  have  published  them. 


A  REFUTATIOX 

OF  THE 

IANICH.EO  PARKERITE 


GO 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


hope  constrain  such  Brethren  to  re-consider  their  present 
views.  Our  charity  towards  all  such  is  sufficient  for  the 
hope,  that  they  would  renounce  their  Parkerite  notions,  could 
we  show  them  that  they  are  incompatible  with  the  word  of 
God,  and  especially  with  those  texts  which  they  have  gleaned 
from  the  Bible  and  pressed  into  a  seeming  support  of  such 
things. 

We  again  affirm,  that  we  would  not,  by  presenting  such 
subjects  of  controversy,  excite  the  minds  of  our  Brethren,  did 
we  not  know  that  great  excitement  at  this  time  prevails  on 
account  of  them— which  has  already  given  rise  to  serious 
hurts  and  difficulties — in  which  character  we  now  take  them 
up.  This  will  account  for  the  seeming  want  of  method  in 
this  address,  as  our  course  will  be  to  discuss  such  things  as 
are  producing  distress  and  divorcement  among  us ;  for  it  is 
both  well  known  and  painfully  felt  by  the  Baptists  of  this 
Association,  and  the  Old  Order  generally,  that  many  hurtful 
and  untenable  notions,  unsustained  by  the  word  of  God,  with 
nothing  for  their  support,  but  mere  Parkerite  perversions,  have 
been,  for  a  long  time,  gaining  strength  and  consideration 
among  us,  against  which  we  now  protest  plainly,  yet  chari- 
tably. 

We  are  not  without  the  hope  that  if  we  will  rightly  con- 
sider the  subjects  of  difficulty  among  us,  by  referring  them  to- 
the  Word  of  God,  and  looking  at  them  in  the  light  which  it 
affords,  we  may  yet  come  to  some  general  understanding 
about  them,  whereof  union  and  fellowship  may  be  predicated. 

Even  with  the  facts  before  us,  as  just  stated,  did  we  believe 
that  any  thing  which  we  shall  say,  would  admit  of  heretical 
perversions,  or  could  be  used  for  the  strengthening  of  any  re-' 
ligious  error,  we,  would  at  once  desist,  and  forego  all  its  pros- 
pective advantages.  lis  subjects  have  been  well  weighed,  and 
all  their  tendencies  carefully  traced  out,  and  we  cannot  see 
that  they  lead  to  a  single  heretical  dogma  of  this  or  any  other 
time.  Let  us  see  :  for  instance,  all  that  we  shall  write  on 
the  Origin  of  Evil  will  go  to  show  the  great  truism  of  One 


MANICH.EO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


61 


God,  the  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things.  Then  will  follow 
the  truth  of  the  fall  of  all  the  human  family  in  /Vdam  :  sin,  a 
consequence  of  disobedience ;  a  Scriptural  account  of  the 
union  between.  Christ  and  His  people ;  the  relation  of  Satan 
to  the  wicked;  and  the  resurrection  of  our  bodies.  None  of 
these  things  lead  to  heresies  of  any  kind — it  is  only  the 
denial  of  them  which  does — and  it  is  a  matter  of  surprise 
that  any  of  the  Old  Order  of  Baptists  should  have  eA'er 
entertained  any  notions  in  opposition  to  such  evangelical 
truths. 

As  we  have  to  shape  our  address  according  to  the  subjects 
of  controversy  among  us,  wo  will  proceed  according  to  the 
following  order :  to  shovr, 

1.  That  the  imperfection  of  all  created  things  is  the  soarce 
or  origin  of  evil,  and  not  an  eternal  principle  of  evil,  or  an 
eternal  Devil.        ■  ■ 

2.  Prove  that  all  the  human  family,  elect  and  non-elect,  fell 
in  Adam,  in  opposition  to  the  Parkerite  notion  that,  only  the 
elect,  or  Church,  fell  in  him  !  and  give  an  exposition  of  the 
two  texts  of  Scripture  v/hich  they  quote  in  confirmation  of 
that  error. 

3.  Set  forth  the  Scriptural  account  of  the  different  kinds 
of  union  between  Christ  and  His  people^  contradistinct  to  the 
Parkerite  view  of  the  subject. 

4.  Offer  an  exposition  of  the  revealed  doctrine  of  the 
change  and  resurrection  of  our  natural  or  mortal  bodies,  in 
opposition  to  the  fallacy  of  the  non-resurrectionists. 

5.  Conclusion. 

We  will  now  consider  our  first  proposition, —  that  the 
imperfection  of  all  created  things  is  the  source  or  origin  of 
evil,  and  not  an  eternal  principle  of  evil,  or  an  eternal  Devil! 

As  we  approach  the  great  labyrinth  of  evil,  the  deep  dark 
problem  of  its  origin,  we  feel  conscious  that  our  lights  are 
dim,  and  that  our  clue  must  necessarily  pass  through  many 
mystic  windings ;  yet  we  feel  confident  that  we  shall  be  able 


.  62  A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 

to  pass  safely  with  our  reader  through  maDy  of  its  resolvable 
intricacies,  and,  as  we  proceed,  show  that  all  the  ^vindings 
and  doublings  of  the  Parkerite  Pagan  Philosophy  lead  to  a 
Minotaur  of  heresy,  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  Cretan 
monster  of  old — likewise  indicsite  the  true  source  of  evil,  and 
in  the  light  of  analogy  show  the  origin  of  Satan  himself — - 
then  in  that  stronger  and  clear  light,  which  reveals  Mercy's 
only  guaranty  against  such  things,  find  an  easy  and  safe 
outlet  from  all  these  labyrinthian  mazes. 

We  will  at  once  put  iorth  our  lights  and  proceed.  Here 
they  are  :  "I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else ;  there  is  no 
God  besides  me,  I  form  the  light  and  create  darkness ;  I  make 
peace  and  create  evil.  I,  the  Lord,  do  all  these  things." 
Isaiah  xv,  5,  7.  "His  angels  He  charged  with,  folly.  Yea, 
the  heavens  are  not  clean  in  his  sight.  Yea,  the  stars  are  not 
pure  in  his  sight."    Jobiv,  18;  xv,  5. 

It  is  impossible  to  conceive  of  evil  antecedents  to  creation, 
when  Godj  and  God  only,  existed,  without  setting  up  from 
everlasting  a  self-existent,  intelligent  antagonistic  spirit; 
which  cannot  be  done  without  a  gross  and  palpable  violation 
of  plainly  revealed  truth.  As  infinite  good  would  just  as 
necessarily  exclude  the  existence  of  evil  as  infinite  light 
would  the  existence  of  darkness,  until  ^omG  oil icr  form  of  good, 
or  light  was  created,— for  instance.  And  as  creation 
involved  necessarily  a  finite  state  of  things,  we  shall  find  in 
thU finite  of  things  the  true  and  undeniable  source  of 
evil.  Finite  good  must  be  created  before  evil  can  come  into 
existence,  just  as  finite  light  must  be  created  before  darkness 
can  exist — finite  wisdom  before  ignorance,  and  finite  power 
before  weakness,  &c. 

Man  was  created  good — pronounced  to  be  very  good  by  his 
Creator,  but  the  good  there  spoken  of  was  fiinite — ivas  imperfect^ 
and,  therefore,  contained  in  itself  a  liabilit}^  to  pervert  itself. 
Thus  we  may  expect  to  find  a  source  of  evil  in  man  himself 
fore  his  fall,  before  Eve  was  tempted  by  Satan,  or  Adam  by 
Eve.    Let  the  reader  be  not  alarmed;  We  have  abundant  proof 


MANICH^O   PARKERITE  HERESY. 


6^ 


just  at  hand,  or  be  assured  we  would  not  have  put  forth  such  a 
proposition. 

In  connection  with  the  finite  stp.te  of  things,  which  creation 
involved,  we  see  angelic  folly,  impurity  of  the  heavens,  and 
human  liabilities  to  evil. 

The  following  considerations  will  show  a  source  of  evil, 
while  man  was  in  a  state  of  innocence:  It  must  be  admitted, 
as  an  incontrovertible  fact,  a  great  truism,  which  developed  it- 
self in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  that,  in  the  state  of  our  first  pa^rents, 
as  created,  there  was  aliahility  to  deception,  to  temptation^  disobedi- 
ence,Srin  a?id  death,  which,  although  a  source  of  evil  initself,  was, 
we  admitj  latent,  a  mere  state  or  condition,  and  vv^as  not  acted 
on  by  the  Lord  in  the  production  of  open  or  manifest  evil, 
but  was  rather  guarded  by  Him  as  a  quarter  from  whence  evil 
might  emanate,  by  presenting  to  cur  first  parents  the  dreadful 
consequences  of  yielding  to  temptation.  Gen.  iii,  17.  This 
liability  to  deception,  to'  temptation,  and  disobedience,  vv-as 
acted  on 'by  Satan,  and  the  latent  evil  made  manifest  by  him. 

We  are  aware  that  it  maybe  said  that,  if  Satan  had  not 
tempted  Eve,  she  would  not  have  disobeyed  the  Lord;  yet  we 
must  affirm,  notwithstanding,  that  her  disobedience  emana- 
ted .  from  a  liability  to  deception  and  temptation,  as  well  as 
from  the  guile  of  Satan,  and  not  from  him  as  the  exclusive 
fountain  of  evil.  For,  had  there  been  no  liability  on  the  part 
of  our  first  parents  to  temptation,  he  could  not  have  prevail- 
ed in  tempting  Eve,  nor  Eve  Adam.  This  liability  to  decep- 
tion, temptation  and  disobedience  must  exist  in  the  state  of  all 
finite  creatures,  a  source  of  evil  which  God  and  Christ  are  said 
to  be  exempt  from.  Here  we  see  the  force  of  the  truth  that 
''God  cannot  be  tempted  with  evil,  neither  tempteth  He  any 
man."  Here,  then,  are  all  the  sources  of  evil  at  once  exclu- 
ded, that  of  tempting,  and  that  of  a  capability  of  being  tempted. 
Neither  could  Christ  be  tempted;  in  his  state  there  was  no  lia- 
bility to  deception,  temptation  and  disobedience,  and,  there- 
fore, Satan  could  open  no  fountain  of  evil  there.  Mat.  iv,  1. 
We  have  plainly  shown  a  source  of  evil  in  the  state  of  our 


64 


A  REFUTATION   OF  THE 


firs^t  parents  contradistinct  from  Satan  as  the  only  origin  of  it; 
for  fte  only  opened  a  fountain  of  evil,  which  was  guarded,  as 
we  have  just  shown.  He  certainly  did  not  produce  in  our 
first  parents  a  liability  to  deception,  temptation  and  disobedi- 
ence, but  found  it  there  and  acted  on  it;  and  although  it  was  la- 
tent, yet  its  latency  did  not  prevent  it  from  being  a  source  of 
evil. 

Tke  state  of  our  First  Parents  was  amenable  under  the  influ- 
ence of  an  Evil  Power,  to  temptation,  disobedience,  sin  and 
death.  Liabilities  to  such  things  surely  constitute,  in  them- 
selves, a  source  of  evil.  To  tempt,  as  Satan  did,  was  an  evil 
act,  and  a  capability  of  being  tempted,  on  the  part  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  was  an  innate  or  inherent  evil  in  their  human  state. 

As  the  Parkerite  does  not  deduce  the  least  proof  from  .the 
Word  of  God,  in  confirmation  of  his  untenable  notion  of  the 
existence  of  an  eternal  Evil  Spirit,  we  cannot  meet  him  on  , 
scripture  ground,  in  the  discussion  of  that  point,  but  will  rea- 
son the  case  a  little  with  him,  and  a  few  words  must  suffice. 

One  of  two  propositions  must  be  admitted — either  that  this 
imaginary  eternal  evil  spirit  was  from  everlasting,  now  is, 
and  ever  will  be,  under  the  complete  control  and  dominion  of 
God;  or  that  he  is  as  independent  of  God  in  his  acts  as  he  is  in 
his  existence.  The  first  would  involve  an  unreasonable  para- 
dox; that  of  an  eternal  evil  spirit  acting  through  eternal  and 
infinite  goodness! — and  the  second  would  include  the  Pagan 
absurdities  of  Polytheism.  , 

Thus  we  see  the  absurdity  of  the  notion  of  an  eternal  evil 
spirit  acting  or  prevailing  through  infinite  and  eternal  good- 
ness, a.nd  that;  the  perfection  of  the  Godhead  must  necessarily 
exclude  it;  and  we  will  now  show  just  as  plainly  that  the  im- 
perfection of  created  finite  beings  necessarily  involves  evil. 
Infinite  and  perfect  good  can  never  pervert  itself;  therefore  it  is 
free  from  the  evil  of  a  liability  to  pervert  itself  through  any  de- 
gree of  imperfection.  Through  the  imperfection  of  power  comes 
the  evil  of  weakness;  through  the  imperfection  of  wisdom  the 
evil  of  ignorance;  and  why  not  see,  and  admit,  that  through 


MANICH.5:0    PARKERITE  HERESY. 


the  imperfection  of  created  good  comes  evil?  Through 
the  imperfection  of  moral  power  the  evil  of  disobedience  en- 
sues; reason  is  a  consequence  of  the  imperfection  of  the  hu- 
man intellect,  and  its  conclusions  are  often  foreign  to  truth. 
Through  the  imperfection  of  created  things  we  have  become 
familiar  with  opposites — as  when  we  think  of  wisdom  we  also 
think  foil}',  of  power  and  weakness,  of  good  and  evil,  of  right- 
eousness and  sin,  life  and  death,  time  and  eternity,  &c.  Bu^ 
observe,  none  of  these  things  are  applicable  to  God;  thej^  care 
only  be  referred  to  created  beings, yz'7z?7e,  inferio7^  and  imperfecty 
when  compared  to  God.  His  infinite  and  perfect  wisdom  ad- 
mits of  no  ignorance.  Wisdom  must  be  created  in  some  oth- 
er/br7?i  before  ignorance  can  exist.  Infinite  povv^er  excludes- 
weakness;  then  power  must  be  created  in  some  other/or/rt 
before  weakness  can  obtain.  Infinite  perfection  will  not  admit 
of  imperfection;  then  something  imperfect  m.ust  be  created' 
before  imperfection  can  ensue.'  Infinite  good,  as  we  have 
seen,  excludes  evil;  then  finite,  or  imperfect  light,  must  be 
created  before  darkness  can  exist,  as  infinite  light  would  not 
allow  it.  In  this  way  God  is  said,  in  the  text,  to  have  created 
evil  and  darkness,  and  in  the  creation  of  finite  lights,  either 
those  of  the  human  mind  or  of  the  universe,  he  created  dark» 
ness. 

Anterior  to  creation,  there  could  rot  have  been  evil  of  any 
kind,  but  it  was  engendered  by  the  imperfection  of  created 
things — by  their  state,  and  not  by  a  previously  existing  prin- 
ciple of  evil,  for  we  have  seen  that  this  could  not  have  origi- 
nated from  the  attributes  of  God,  neither  have  existed  of  it- 
self as  a  prevailing  power  against  God.  Its  piimordium, 
rise,  or  commencement,  must  have  been  in  the  imperfection 
of  the  creature,  in  his  state  :  the  more  this  state  is  unlike 
God,  the  greater  will  be  the  tendency  to  evil  and  the  more 
like  Him,  the  less.  Hence,  then,  our  views  of  God  and  His 
creation  excludes  Pantheism,  for  God  is  plainly  seen  in  all  of" 
Hi«  own  glorious  perfections,  contra- distinct  from  His  works; 
and,  if  it  be  asked  why  all  His  works  are  not  as  perfect  as 


m 


A  REFUTATION   OF  THE. 


Himself  ?  we  answer,  this  could  not  have  been  the  case  with- 
out confounding  them  with  Himself,  and  then  Spinosa  the 
Pantheist  would  have  written  to  some  purpose.  God  w^ould,. 
according  to  that  rule  of  creation,  have  given  His  own 
perfection  to  all  things,  which  it  is  even  absurd  to  suppose;, 
for  how  could  the  perfection  of  unoriginated  existence,  for  in- 
stancej  have  been  given  to  created  things?  Impossible ! 
God  is  THE  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things,  and  all  other  things 
were  created;  and  could  they  have  partaken  of  that  perfection 
which  would  have  forever  excluded  evil,  the  God-head  could  not 
liave  been  seen  apart  from  such  a  creation — -God  would  have 
been  one  with  it,  and  confounded  with  it,  also,  in  that  case; 
for,  if  all  beings  were  like  Him,  there  would  not  only  be  an 
exclusion  of  all  evil,  but  ail  beings  would  at  the  same  time  be 
in  possession  of  the  same  one  wisdom,  one  power,  one  purpose, 

ONE    PERFECTION,     ONE    ESSENCE,    ONE     MIND,     ONE    HOLINESS,  ONE 

WILL,  ONE  GLORY,  whercin  God  would  be  One  with.  His  crea- 
tures, and  not  One  in  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost  alone,  as 
he  has  revealed  himself.  These  divine  perfections  cannot  be 
multiplied,  and  are,  therefore,  incommunicable ;  for  the  idea 
of  two  Infinite  Essences,  two  infinite  Powers,  (kc,  is  incom- 
patible even  with  common  sense.  Then  we  are  not  to  look 
for  divine  perfection  only  as  we  see  it  in  Three  divine  and  un- 
originated persons,  equal  in  all  things,  and  therefore,  only 
One  God,  a  Tripersonality,  but  a  Triunity  in  one  underived 
infinite  existence,  in  one  infinite  impassable  perfection,  in^/z*? 
boundless  wisdom,  in  one  illimitable  power,  in  one  will,  in  one 
holiness,  in  one  inscrutable  Providence.  So  that,  in  the  light 
of  reason,  we  can  perceive  that  there  may  be  Tripersonality, 
but  Unity,  in  the  Godhead;  and,  with  reverence  be  it  spoken, 
there  may  be  a  plurality  of  persons,  but  there  can  be  but  one 
Godhead--only  One  God.    1st  John  v,  7. 

We  will  reason  a  little  further  on  this  subject.  Suppose 
there  were  three  human  or  angelic  beings — though  the  figure 
is  necessarily  imperfect — who  had  precisely,  in  all  respects, 
the  same  mind,  the  same  judgment  and  intellectual  power; 
there  would  be  but  one  mind,  one  judgment,  one  intellectual 


:uAXICH-I,0   FAPwEERltE  H£E.£SY.  '  ^ 

power,  one  will,  eaid  one  course,  in  rel-ation  to  all  things. 
Thus  a  tripersonalit}' is  resolvable  into  a  UBity  of  mind,  of 
judgment,  mental  povrer,  will  and  action,  by  virtue  of  being 
precisely  alike  :  and  v/hy  may  not  a  tripersonality  in  the 
Godhead  resolve  themselves  into  unity  by  being  a,lso  precise- 
ly alike,  equal  and  impassable  ^  differing  not  in  Godhead,  but 
only  in  personality,  as  the  vSon  in  the  humanity  says  :  "My 
Father  is  greater  than  I,"  the  Father  says  all  manner  of  sin 
against  himself  is  pardonable,  but  not  against  the  Holy  Spir- 
it. ■  Here  w«  see  a  difference  in  personality  plainly  indicated, 
which  should  be  regarded,  yet  strictly  in  connection  with  the 
foregoing  principles  in  regard  tO  the  Godhead. 

Hanng  treated  of  the  doctrine  of  a  TripersonaUty  in 
divine  unity  in  the  Godheab,  or  Oxe  Gob,  I  will  now  offer  a 
few  rem.arks  on  the  subject  in  its  sublime  relations  to  the 
Christian  religion:  "For  there  are  three  that  bear  record  in. 
heaven,  The  Fatiiee,  The  Word  and  The  Holy  Ghost;  and 
these  Three  are  Gxe.'"  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  con- 
stitutes an  essential  article  of  the  Christian's  creed:  its  vital 
importance  appears  in  the  fact  that  no  vrcrship  v/ithout  an 
acknowledgment  of  it,  is  accepted  of  God.  The  tailure  to 
worship  God  acceptably  according  to  any  other  belief  may 
be  seen  in  the  worship  of  the  Mohammedans,  who  believe  in 
the  unity  of  God  but  reject  a  trinity  of  persons.  Decidedly 
in  point  is  the  consideration,  that  out  of  100,000  worship- 
pers of  this  creed,  bowed  in  professed. reverence  before  God 
and  praying  in  Tslamitic  zeal,  not  one  obtains  acceptance 
with  God;  If  the  Arian  ask  why  not  ^  the  answer  is, 
because  they  Avorship  without  a  sanctiiication  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  vrithout  faith  in  the  Son,  and  consequently  do  not 
-have  access  unto  the  Father. 

Having  also  shown  the  divine  liarmcRy  of  Three  Persons 
in  all  the  perfections  and  attributes  of  The  One  God.  I  will 
now  refer  to  their  perfect  agreem.ent  in  all  the  profound  acts 
-of  salvation  by  Christ.  The  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
.•Spirit  are  one  in  divine  foreknowledge  of  the  elect  ;  One  in  the 


,68-  A  REFUTAT[ON  OF  THE  , 

eternal  purpose  to  save  by  grace;  One  in  electici  ;  One  io 
redemption;  and  there  is  bat  one  will  in  the  gift  of  all  the 
blessings  thereof.  Without  this  divine  agreement  in  all 
these  respects,  our  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  w^ould  involve 
three  Gods  in  disagreement  instead  of  three  persons  in  divine 
harmony  in  One  God. 

Hence,  the  error  of  supposing  that  the  Son  died  for  an^f 
more  than  the  Father  gave  Him ; — that  the  Spirit  wills  tlie 
salvation  of  any  but  those  who  were  chosen  unto  salvation 
from  the  beginning,  through  a  sanctilication  of  the  spirit; — or, 
that  the  Father  pardons  any  beside  those  for  whom  the  Son 
died;  or  that  He  will  fail,  in  any  instance,  to  pardon  any  one 
for  whose  sins  the  Son  atoned.  Thus  we  discover  there  must 
be  a  divine  personal  agreement  in  the  atonement  as  well  as 
in  all  other  spiritual  blessings  given  to  believers  in  Hlm,  in  order 
that  the  divine  and  eternal  Oneness  may  subsist !  A  general 
atonement  and  special  application,  as  it  is  termed,  makes  an 
issue  between  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Son  ! 

'  •  A  general  atonement  by  the  Son,  and  a  special  justification 
only  by  the  Father,  also  involves  disagreement;  and  violates 
the  one  divine  purpose  and  the  one  divine  will  in  the  great 
affair  of  redemption  !  This  cannot  be;  a  divine  harmony  does 
assuredly  exist  between  the  three  persons  of  the  Trinity,  as 
may  be  seen  again  in  the  work  of  regeneration.  Those  who 
were  chosen  by  the  Father  in  the  Son,  before  the  world began^ 
are  those  for  whom  He  gave  his  life,  and  are  those  who  ex- 
perience a  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  unto  a  belief  of  the 
truth,  even  unto  the  faith,  which  is  a  fruit  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

There  are  no  Arminian  discrepancies  here,  such  as  imply 
difierent  purposes,  different  wills  or  desires,  on  the  part  of  the 
Three  Persons  in  the  Godhead ;  for  the  unity  of  God  must  be 
maintained  in  our  doctrine  as  well  as  a  Tripersonality,  which 
can  only  be  done  agreeably  to  calvinistic  tenets,  as  they  have 
been  termed.  No  one  can  maintain  their  divine  unity  con- 
sistently with  the  Arminian  creed.  The  scriptures,  according 
to  the  following  references,  prove  most  conclusively  what  has 


MAXTCH.EO   PARKERITE  HERESY.  "  69  - 

been  said  about  tlie  divine  harmony  of  the  Three  Persons  in 
the  Godhead,  in  all  thino^^  which  pertains  to  man's  salvation 
and  his  regeneration.  Eph.  i,  8,  4;  John  x,  11;  Thes.  ii,  13, 
Bat  to  return  more  directly  to  the  subject:  \ 

Creatures  from  all  that  has  been  set  forth,  must,  in  all  res- 
pects, be  inferior  to  God,  and  in  that  inferiority  we  perceive  the 
great  fountain  of  evil:  for,  before  the  act  of  creation,  there 
was  no  angenc no  im^Kirity  of  the  stars,  no  uncleanness  of 
the  heavens,  no  angelic  or  human  liabilities  to  temptation, 
deception,  disobedience,  pride,  sin  and  death,  as  we  see  was 
the  case  after  creation.    Job  iv,  18;  xv,  15;  xxv,  5. 

The  objectors  may  contend,  according  to  our  view  of  the 
subject,  that  the  saints  in  heaven  ^vill  not  be  exempt  from  this 
source  of  evil,  as  their  state  will  be  inferior  to  the  perfection 
of  God.  This  would  be  true,  were  we  to  consider  ihem  in 
ili-cmsclves,  as  being  there  under  a  law  and  not  under  grace. 
They  will  then  be  under  the  power  and  c>  .nrroi  of  the  Spiritof 
Christ,  which  will  exclude  all  liabilities  to  evil.  For  grace  does 
not  pervert  itself,  neither  can  it  be  perverted.  They  v^dll  there 
have  a  perfection  in  Christ,  which  njinn^rt  the  fountain  of 
evil  connected  with  their  creatiu'e^liip  id  _^.u-:rii — Christ  wili 
be  made  to  them  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctifica- 
tion,and  redemption;  and  for  further  conhrmation.  Christ  says, 
^'I  am  in  my  Father,  and  ye  (the  saints)  in  me,  and  I  in  you," 
Here  we  see  that  the  tendency  to  evil  we  have  been  speaking 
of.  is  farever  excluded  and  shut  out  by  the  perfection  of  Christ 
and  his  equalit}*  with  the  Father.  The  peculiar  safety  and 
exem.ption  of  the  saints  from  all  evil,  in  heaven,  as  secured 
by  Christ,  in  contradistinction  to  the  danger  and  perversion 
to  "hich  all  other  beings  are  exposed  appear  very  plainly 
from  the  foregoing  considerations. 

Again:  It  may  be  said  that,  according  to  our  doctrine,  God 
must  be  the  author  of  evil.  Let  us  see:  God  created  finite 
good,  and  it  perverted  itself,  not  according  to  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord,  but  contrary  to  it.  But,  continues  the  objector, 
he  created  good^fiaite — Very  true;  for  no  other  kind  could  have 


■        i  . 

70;  A  REFUTATION  OF  THE'  - 

been  created;-  for,  as  we  have  just  seen,  creation  involved  a 
finite  or  imperfect  state  of  things,  which,  as  a  secondary-  cause^ 
produced  evil.  Evil,  then,  .emanated  from  the  state  of  created 
things,  and  not  from  God,  nor  from  an  eternal  spirit  of  evil. 
God,  we  admit,  was  the-author  and  creator  of  finite  good,  which 
good  perverted  itself,  through  its  innate  or  inherent  liabilities 
to  evil;  and  we  must  also  admit  that  creation  not  only  neces- 
sarily involved  a  finite.  state  of  things,  but  likewise  a  source" 
of  evil  in  that  state.  -  ..... 

"It  is  a  deep,  dark  tUouglit,  and  needeth  to  be  diligently  studied,. 

But  perchance  evil'was  esseutial  that  God  sliouM  be  seen  of  his  creature?; 

For  where  perfection  is  not,  tlie're  liicketh  possible  good^ 

And  the-absence  of  better'that  might  be,  taketh  from  the  praise  of  it  is  well;. 
.  Jthd' creatures  must  be  finite,  and  finite  cannot  be  peifect: 
.Therefore,  though  in  small  degree,  Creation  inYoIveth  evil- 
He  chargeth  His  angels  with  folly,  and  the  heavens  are  not  clean  in  his  sight, 
For  every  existence  in  the  universe  hath  either  imperfection  or  Godhead; 
And  the  lighit  that  blazeth  bufcin-  One  must  be  softened  with  shadow  for  the  many. 
There  is,  then,  good  in  evil,  or  none  could  have  knov;n  his  Maker^ 
Xo  spiritual  intellect  or  essence  could  have  gazed  on  his  high  perfections, 
No  angels' harps  could  hiivo  tuned  the  wonders  of  His  wisdom-,  . 
Ino  ransomed  souls  have  praised  the  glories  of  His  mercy,  ' 
!N".o  howhng  fiends  have  shov/n  the  terrors  of  His  justice. 
But  God  would  have  dwelt  alone  in  the  fearful  solitude  of  holiness."* 

The  idea  or  notion  that  Adam  and  Eve  were  the  only  ra- 
tional and  accountable  creatures  whom  the  Lord  brought  inta 
existence,  throughout  the  whole  created  universe,  is  a  grog's 
violation  of  revealed  truth  and  human  reason;  also  of  the  lights- 
of  astronomy  and  analogy ;  and  though  we  might  deduce 
much  confirmation  of  our  views  from  these  other  sources,  yet 
we  shall  confine  ourselves  strictly  to  scripture  testimon3^ 

Id  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 
Thus  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  created  and  all  the  host 
of  them. 


*We  have  made  this  Cjuotation,  from  Tupper's  "P-royerbial  Philosopht,"  not  as' 
the  source  of  our  views,  but  in  corroboration  of  them  not  only  asset  forth  here,  but 
as  publised  before  Tupper  wrote  his  book,  in  a  treatise  on  the  Origin  of  Evil  in  the  Sipis^ 
of  the  T'imes  of  October,.  18-12. 


MANICHyEO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


71 


For  by  Him  were  all  thi'igs  created  that  are  in  heaven,  and 
that  are  in  earth.    Gen.  i,  1;  ii,  1:    Col.  i,  16. 

As  the  Parkerite  denies  the  creation  of  angels,  we  will  have 
to  preniise  a  little.  The  heavens,  we  see,  were  created,  and 
all  the  host  of  them.  By  the  word  of  the  Lord  were  the  heav- 
ens made,  and  all  the  host  of  them, by  the  breath  of  Ills  mouth. 
Psalms  XXX,  iii,  6.  i\nd  what  do  we  understand  from  the 
words  "and  all  the  host  of  them?"  Do  these  words  embrace 
the  heavenly  host  of  angels,  or  the  sun,, moon  and  planets  of 
our  solar  system  and  those  of  other  s^^stems  ad  bifinitUm?  Be 
this  as  it  may,  v/e  have  besides  this  a  surer  word  of  prophecy  in 
relation  to  the  creation  of  "angels,  whokept  not  their  first  estate, 
butleft  their  own  habitation,"  and  are  "reserved  in  everlasting 
chains  under  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day." 
Jude  6.  Again:  "God  spared  not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but  cast 
them  down  to  hell,  and  delivered  them  unto  chains  of  dark- 
ness to  be  reserved  unto  judgment."  2d  Peter  \i,  4:.  Christ 
says,  JohnVii'].,  44,  Satan  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning, 
and  abode  not  in  truth;  by  which  it  seems  he  was  once  in  an 
abode  of  truth,  and,  from  the  time  he  became  Satan,  from  the 
very  beginning  of  that  state,  he  was  a  murderer.  We  also, 
read  of  elect  angels.  \st  Tim.  v,  2l.  From  all  of  which' we 
learn  tha,t  angels  were  created  somewhere  in  the  heavens,  but 
we  know  not  whether  in  the  first  or  second  heaven;  not  in  the 
third,  we  presume.  2d  Cor.  xii,  2.  They,  however,  had  a 
habitation,  somewhere  in  the  created  heavens.  Further  we 
read  in  the  Vford  of  God  tha,t  those  who  kept  not  their  first 
esta^te  and  left  their  own  habitation,  were  cast  down  out  of  it. 
after  they  had  sinned,  to  hell;  'though,  for  certain  reasons,  and 
at  certain  times,  they  are'  suffered  to  come  forth,  and  rove, 
about  in  this  earth,  and  in  the  air. 

Moreover:  May  we  not  recognise  Satan  at  their  head^  as  one 
who  abode  not  in  his  first  estate, in  the  truth,  as  Christ  stated: 
for  we  have  no  idea  that  Satan  was  created  in  his  present  state, 
but  was  created  an  upright,  intelligent  spirit,  in  the  light  of' 
truth  of  some  kind,  in  which  state  he,  however,  abode  not.. 


7:2^       .  *     A   REFUTATION    OF  THE  " 

John  viii,  44.  Being  lifted  up  with  pride,  he  sinned,  and  was 
cast  down  and  cursed  with  a  change  of  state.  After  he  sinned, 
we  may  safely  infer  that  he  involved  other  angels  in  the  same 
sin,  curse  and  change  of  state ;  for  he  is  said  to  be  a  murderer 
fi^om  the  beginning  of  this  state,  when  he  ceased  to  abide  in 
the  truth.  His  involving  other  angels,  and  soon  afterwards 
Adam  and  Eve,  in  disobedience,  sin  and  death,  show  his  mur- 
derous course  very  plainly. 

According  to  what  has  been  stated,  we  may  expect  to  meet 
with  Satan  and  his  legions  here;  and  the  words  of  Christ  to  His 
disciples  are  in  full  agreement  with  this  view  of  the  subject. 
\vhen  He  directed  them  to  cast  out  devils^  and  not  the  devil,  as 
is  also  the  reply  of  the  devils  on  a  certain  occasion  that  their 
name  was  legion,  for  they  were  77iani/. 

Besides,  there  are  different  kinds  of  devils,  as  we  learn  from 
the  words  of  Christ.  ''Howbeit  this  kind  goeth  out  by  prayer 
and  fasting?"  thereby  plainly  indicating  different  of  dev- 
ils. 

'  But,  after  all,  we  must  forestall  the  Parkerite  here,  as  he  will 
say  that  all  we  have  quoted  from  the  Word  of  God,  in  re- 
lation to  angels,  has  reference  to  Adam  and  Eve,  and  their 
posterity.  But  this  he  cannot  do,  with  any  kind  of  consis- 
tency, according  to  another  tenet  of  his — that  souls  cannot  be 
lost— cannot  goto  hell.  Ashe  is  bound  to  admit  that  they 
had  souls — Adam,  at  least,  according  to  his  own  notion — 
these  scriptures,  of  course,  will  not  appl}^  to  them,  as  the  an- 
gels who  sinned  and  were  cast  down  to  hell ;  nor  to  the  elect, 
as  they  likewise  have  souls.  And,  as  he  says,  that  the  non- 
elect  never  fell  in  Adam,  but  have  kept  their  first  estate,  these 
scriptures  do  not  embrace  them  either,  as  the  angels  who  fell 
kept  not  their  first  estate. 

The  fallen  angels  are  in  close  union  and  agreement  with 
fallen  sinners,  and  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  "elect 
angels"  are  in  union  and  agreement  with  all  regenerated  per- 
sons— ministering  spirits  unto  the  heirs  of  salvation,  and  that 
they  will  abide  together  in  ultimate  glory  and  bliss,  while  the 


MANICH.EO    PARKERITE  HERESY. 


fallen  angels,  the  '-angels  who  sinned,"  will  abide  with  the 
wicked  finally  in:  the  bottomless  pit! 

We  will  offer  a  few  additional  suggestions  on  the  Origin  of 
Satan,  as  Satan,  or  as  a  Devil,  and  bring  this  subject  to  a 
close. 

We  have  just  seen  that  creation  necessarily  involed  finite  crea- 
ture ship,  which,  contained  in  itself  an  innate  source  of  evil;but, 
in  order  to  indicate  the  origin  of  Satan  as  Satan,  it  will  be 
proper  to  set  forth  the  fact  that  this  finite  condition  of  all  crea- 
tures, whether  of  human  beings  or  a-igels.  involved  the  neces- 
sity of  a  law  being  given  by  the  Creator  to  the  creature,  in  a 
state,  which  admitted  of  a  violation  of  such  a  law,  or  rule  of 
conduct.    Moreover:  that  the  violation  of  such  a  law,  or 
commandment,  as  in  the  instance  of  hum.an  beings,  was  at- 
tended with  dreadful  consequences;  those  just  in  point  were  a 
sad  change  of  state,  and  an  expulsion  from  an  earthly  paradise. 
The  scriptures  assure  us  that  "sin  is  the  transgression  of  the 
law;"  also  that  the  angels  sinned;  and,  as  "sin  is  the  transgres- 
sion of  the  law;"  they  must  have  transgressed  a  law  which  was 
given  to  them  when  they  were  created.    Further:  may  we  not 
expect  that  sim^ilar  consequences  ensued  in  their  case  as  in 
that  of  Adam  and  Eve — a  change  of  state,  and  an  ejection  Jrom 
their  habitation,    Adam  and  Eve,  after  they  had  sinned,  were 
^^driven  ouV^  of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  went  forth  fallen  sin- 
ners.   "The  angels  who  sinned  were  cast  down  to  hell,  and  de- 
livered into  chains  of  darkness;  who  like  Adam  and  Eve,  kept 
NOT  THEIR  FIRST  ESTATE,  but  wcro  chaugcd  luto  Qcvils.  They, 
however,  according  to  an  unresolvable  Providence, — which, 
however,  must,  all  the  while  be  predicated  of  infinite  wisdom, 
goodness  and  power, — are  permitted  by  the  lengthening  of 
their  prison  chains,  to  come  into  this  world;  and  J:-;uan  was 
sufiJ'ered  to  enter  the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  to  tempt  and  se- 
duce oar  Fii'st  Parents; — Satan  as  the  chief  of  devils,  then  be- 
came the  Prince  of  the  power  of  the  air,  and  the  Chief  Ruler  of 
the  powers  of  darkness,  and  often  took  up  his  abode  with  other 
spirits  in  the  hearts  of  sinful  men,  as  in  a  palace,  where  he 


74 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


was,  and  is  yet  kindl}^  entertained  with  his  associate  spirits, 
until  ejected  from  thence  by  the  Lord. 

It  appears,  from  revelation,  that  the  Lord  has  two  modes  of 
government  for  his  creatures:  one  by  giving  them  a  plain 
lav*',  or  commandment,  for  the  exercise  of  their  moral  powers, 
obedience  and  free  agency,  which  by-the-bye,  has,  in  all  in- 
stances we  know  of  ended  disastrously— ruinously  downward 
ad  infinitum?  The  other  mode  has  been  to  work  in  them  both 
to  will  and  to  do,  of  his  own  pleasure,  that  which  he  had  com- 
manded. This  has  been  the  only  safe  way  for  the  creature, 
and,  in  its  different  ways,  constitutes  the  sum  and  substance 
of  Divine  Grace. 

Li  this  way,  we  presume,  the  elect  angels  v/ere  confirmed 
in  a  holy  and  happy  state,  by  the  Lord  working  in  them  "both 
to  will  and  to  do"  his  commandments,  and  thus  keeping  them, 
by  his  divine  power,  from  sinning  ;  wherein  we  see  the  grace 
of  internal  guidance  and  safe  keeping,  but  not  the  grace  of 
redemption,  as  they  never  sinned,  through  which  grace,  how-. 
ever,  they  become  united  and  associated  with  saints  here  on 
earth,  and  will  hereafter  be  associated  and  united  with  them 
in  the  saints'  third  heaven,  or  heaven  of  heavens;  while,  on 
the  contrary,  the  angels  who  sinned  'and  kept  not  their  first 
estate  had,  by  sin  and  a  change  of  state,  become  fit  associates 
for  wicked  persons  here,  and  hereafter. 

We  would  just  remark  that,  when  the  term  angel  in  the 
Word  of  God  does  not  seem  to  agree  with  the  exposition, 
here  given,  it  is  used  figuratively^  as  is  the  case  in  many  in- 
stances. 

We  think  we  have,  in  some  respects,  indicated  the  origin  of 
the  Satanic  state  satisfactorily;  but  we  freely  confess  that  there 
are  many  unresolvable  problems  connected  with  it  which  we 
shall  not  presumptuously  attempt  to  explain;  our  design  is,  rath- 
er to  direct  the  candid  enquirer  in  a  way  which  will  not  lead  to 
hurtful  heresies,  than  to  remove  all  its  difficulties.  Let  us, 
however,  present  one  more  view  of  it.        \  «• 


MANICHiEO  PARKERITE  HERESV« 


We  have  prove'd  that  man's  state  at  first  admitted  of  diso- 
bedience, and  his  present,  fallen  state,  is  a  sad  consequence  of 
his  disobedience.  May  we  not  then  infer,  in  the  light  of  anal-" 
ogy,  that  the  origin  of  the  Satanic  state  is  the  same,  or  analo- 
gous to  that  of  man.  But  we  will  look  at  it  under  a  clearer 
and  surer  light.  Not  a  novice,  lest  being  lifted  up  with  pride 
lie  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil.  1st  Tim.  iii,  G. 
Satan  was  lifted  up  with  pride,  and  was  therefore  condemned, 
and  became  Satan,  Devil,  etc.  Man  disobeyed,  and  was  con= 
demned,  and  becamis  a  sinner,  etc.  However  exalted  the 
state  of  Satan  may  have  been  before  he  fell,  there  was  in  it  a 
liability  to  pride;  and  if  it  be  asked  how  this  liability  to  pride 
was  brought  into  sinful  action,  we  answer  one  of  the  very  ele- 
ments of  his  state  or  nature,  inferiority  to  God  might  originate 
it,  in  violation  of  a  precept  to  the  contrary.  For  God,  and  God. 
alone,  can  glory  in  his  state  without  pride.  There  is  no  lift- 
ing up  with  Him;  but  Satan  through,  the  imperfection  of  his 
state,  could  originate  pride,  and  falL  under  condemnation  on 
account  of  it,  and  as  a  curse,  suffer  a  change  of  state,  as  did 
man.  Man  fell  very  soon  after  his  creation,  and  may  we  not 
also  infer  that  Satan  did  likewise? 

We  will  analogize  a  little  further  here  :  Man  fell  through 
disobedience,  and  the  whole  course  of  fallen  man  is  one  of 
disobedience  ; — Satan  fell  through  pride,  "being  lifted  up  with 
pride,"  and  his  conduct  since  confirms  it.  Let  us  see,  2d. 
Thes.  ii,  9.  Antichrist,  the  very  personification  of  Satan,  is 
thus  described  in  connection  v/ith  the  "being  lifted  up  with 
pride,"  as  one  "who  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself  above  all 
that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshipped  ;  so  that  he,  as  God, 
sitteth  in  the  temple,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God."  Thus 
we  see  that  man  was  capable  of  disobeying  before  he  fell,  and 
that  he  has  been  cursed  with  a  far  greater  tendency  to  sin, 
and  even  now  tries  to  assume  his  former  state  by  making  a 
religious  show;  so  with  regard  to  Satan  ;  we  have  just  seen 
that  he  had  in  his  state  an  element  v^diich  originated  pride, 
and  that  he  was  condemned  for  "being  lifted  up  with  pride," 
and  that  his  liability  or  tendency  to  pride  has,  as  a  eurse^ 


76 


A  REFUTAT[ON  OF  THE 


become  also  greater,  and  is  now  capable  of  engendering 
pride  to  the  extent  we  have  just  seen  in  2d  Thes.  ii,  9,  and 
yet  tries  to  appear  as  he  once  was,  an  upright  angel,  by 
deception,  and  transformation.  Our  analogism  might  be 
carried  still  further,  but  we  must  desist,  and  proceed  to  the 
consideration  of  other  things. 

We  have  been  thus  particular,  in  order  to  show  the  differ- 
ent sources  of  evil,  as  they  exist  in  the  finite  state  of  all 
created  things,  as  many  of  our  good  brethren  have  turned 
Parkerites,  because  they  could  not  trace  evil  to  any  other 
source  than  Satan,  and  then,  that  they  might  disconnect  the 
source  of  evil  from  God,  and  his  works,  have  created  in  their 
fancy  an  eternal  evil  spirit  or  devil,  without  a  single  solitary 
text  of  scripture  to  sustain  such  a  notion. 

Second  Projjosition:  To  prove  that  all  the  human  family, 
elect  and  non-elect,  fell  in  Adam,  in  opposition  to  the  Parker- 
ite  notion  that  only  the  elect,  or  church,  fell  in  him. 

We  confess  we  are  ashamed  of  the  necessity  of  defending 
so  obvious  a  truth — one  which  is  not  only  set  forth  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  (Acts  xviii,  20;  Rom.  v;  Eph.  ii,  3,)  but  fixed 
also  in  the  very  nature  and  being  of  all,  in  both  soul  and 
body.  Yet,  strange  to  relate,  many  of  our  preachers  are 
often  heard  to  say,  in  our  pulpits,  to  the  great  hurt  and  annoy- 
ance of  many,  that  all  who  fell  in  Adam  will  be  saved  in 
Christ — indicating,  thereby,  darkly  and  vaguel}^,  their  Parker- 
ite  doctrine,  leaving  their  hearers  to  form  whatever  conjec- 
tures they  may  of  their  meaning.  The  suppressed  meaning 
of  this  saying,  as  shown  at  other  times,  is,  that  the  non-elect 
did  not  fall  in  Adam,  and  therefore,  all  who  fell  in  him  will 
be  saved  in  Christ.  Their  course,  all  the  while,  is  rather  to 
insinuate  their  views,  under  cover  of  such  expressions  or 
sayings,  than  to  give  a  full,  candid  exposition  of  them;  for 
whenever  the  latter  is  done,  however  seldom  or  well-timed  it 
may  be,  it  generally  produces  so  many  hurts,  so  much  strife 
and  contention,  that  they  generally  prefer  the  former  course. 

In  opposing  so  absurd  a  notion — that  the  non-elect  did  not 


MANICH.EO  FARKERITE  HERESY. 


77 


fall  in  Adam — we  feel  as  though  trying  to  prove  that  six  and 
six  do  not  make  ten,  and  that  five  and  five  do.  But,  after 
all,  they  say,  it  is  owing  to  our  want  of  scriptural  insight 
which  prevents  us  from  looking  into  this  great  deep  as  they 
do!  One  might,  it  is  true,  fi^e,  in  his  own  perverted  judgment, 
how  six  and  six  make  ten,  and  yet  complain  most  bitterly 
that  others  could  not  see  it  for  the  want  of  a  similar  obliquity, 
of  mind. 

We  will  now  quote  one  of  the  texts  which,  by  palpable 
perversion,  has  been  pressed  into  the  service  of  Parkerism : 
"Unto  the  woman  He  said,  I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  sorrow 
and  thy  conception  :  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  bring  forth  chil- 
dren," Some  of  the  best  scholars  agree  in  the  opinion,  that 
nothing  more  is  meant  by  the  Hebrew  words  from  which  this 
has  been  translated  than  that  the  woman,  as  one  of  the  evils 
she  had  just  incurred,  should  suff'er  greatly  in  child-bearing, 
which  has  been  verified  throughout  the  whole  world.  While 
Eve  was  to  suffer  in  child-bearing,  we  read  that  the  Lord 
"said  unto  Adam  cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake;  in  sorrow 
shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life."  But  for  sin, 
through  disobedience,  Eve  w^ould  have  been  exempt  from  pain 
in  child-bearing,  and  Adam  from  sorrow  in  tilling  the  earth. 

We  will,  however,  take  the  words  of  the  English  transla- 
tion as  we  find  them,  and  we  confess  we  cannot  see  the  vague, 
mysterious  meaning  in  them  which  the  followers  of  Parker 
do.  And  although  it  is  a  little  difficult  to  make  out  a  full 
exposition  of  their  notions  in  regard  to  this  text,  yet  we  will 
show,  very  plainly,  the  absurdities  which  the}'  lead  to.  In 
the  first  place,  they  attach  great  importance  to  the  word 
multiply^  and  suppose  that  the  non-elect  are  all  embraced  in 
that  word,  and  profess  to  see  them  brought  to  view  in  that 
mystic  word,  distinct  in  nature  and  birth  from  the  elect,  which 
Adam  alone  represented  before  the  fall;  that  there  were  just 
enough  souls  infused  into  Adam  for  the  elect,  and  none  for 
the  beings  which  were  to  be  multiplied.  These,  as  they  come 
into  the  world,  bring  with  them  a  seed  from  the  devil,  with 


78 


A  REFUTATION  OP  THE 


which  he  was  eternally  united,  and  which  exists  in  theni 
instead  of  souls— so  they  have  derived  nothing  from  Adam 
and  Eve  but  a  body— the  rest  from,  the  devd,  and  therefore 
called  children  of  the  devil,'  Although  it  is  both  very  difficult 
to  set  forth  their  notions,  and  to  understand  them  even  when' 
they  preach  or  write  them,  yet  we  think  as  far  as  we  have 
gone,  we  have  not  misrepresented  them  on  this  subject y  the 
multiplying  of  the  human  species. 

Surely  the  Lord  knew,  precisely,  how  many  elect  and  rvon^ 
elect  would  be  born  into  the  world;  and  we  find  that  there 
was  a  prospective  a^rrangement  of  all  things  in  the  Divine 
Mind,  with  regard  to  both,  before  the  world  began ;  and,if  so, 
how  could  the  multiplying  of  Abraham  be  deemed  so  great  a 
blessing,  as  he  was  muHiplied  into  niany  of  the  non-elect,  as 
well  as  elect,  as  in  the  instances  of  Korath,  Datham,  Abiram 
and  Ishmael,  these  were  as  fully  a  multiplication  of  Abraham 
as  were  Levi  and  others  of  the  elect.  And  before  man  fell 
"God  blessed  them,  and. said  to  them,  Be  fruitful  and  multiply 
and  replenish  the  earthy  and  subdue  it." 

Who  can  suppose  that  the  multiplying  of  the  human  family 
deprived  any  of  souls,  when  it  is  even  set  forth  that  the  Lord's 
commandment  to  our  first  parents,  before  they  sinned  and  in- 
curred death,  was  to  multiply  and  replenish  the  earth?  And 
we  know  that  Abraham  v/as  muUijilied  into  many  of  the  elect 
and  non-elect.  If  the  multiplying  of  the  woman's  conception 
be  considered  as  a  curse,  the  source  of  the  non-elect  and  their 
destitution  of  souls,  apart  from  the  pain  and  sorrow  of  child- 
bearing,  how  can  the  multiplying  of  Hagar's  seed,  or  the  mul- 
tiplication of  Abraham  himself,  be  considered  so  great  a, 
blessing,  especially  as  he  and  she  must  have  been  multiplied 
into  many  of  t\\e  non- elect?  Likewise,  look  at  Jacob's  blessing 
conferred  by  his  father,  Isaac— Gen.  xxiii;  3. 

It  is  to  the  fall  of  man,  and  not  to  the  multiplying  of  the 
woman's  conception,  that  we  must  look  as  the  source  of  the 
date  of  the  non-elect  here  and  hereafter;  an  innate  state  de- 
rived  from  the  perverted,  primordiate  stock  nowise  different 


MAXiCH-SO   PARKERITE   HERESY.  7*^  . 

in  derivation  from  that  of  the  elect,  who  are,  "by  nature, 
the  children  of  wrath,  even  as  others."'  But,  to  evade  the  force 
of  this  scripture,  they  will  not  admit  that  the  word  "nature" 
there  embraces  the  whole  man,  soul  and  body;  they  regard  the 
soul  as  something  uncreated,  an  infusion  from -God,  or  portion 
cf  his  essence,  something  Vv  hich  they  say  "is  as  old  as  God!"' 
Then  the  elect  and  non- elect  mPty  be  alike  in  their  bodies,  ac- 
cording to  their  notions,  but  not  in  their  souls:  hence  the  elect  in  * 
their  natural  bodies,  may  be  the  children  of  wrath  even  as  others. 
We  ask  hovr  can  they  be  called  children,  implying  persons,  who 
cannot  exist  as  such  without  an  union  of  soul  and  body,  and 
therefore,  both  must  have  been  included  by  the  Apostle,  when 
he  said  they  vrere  by  nature,  according  to  their  natural  state, 
in  soul  and  body,  the  children  of  wrath,  just  as  the  non-elect 
were  in  soul  and  body.  The  generaf  course  of  Parkerism  is, 
to  exclude  souls  from  the  non-elect,  and  to  establish  an  in- 
nate difference  between  the  elect  and  non-elect  in  that  res- 
pect: but  to  admit  that  they  do  not  differ  in  natural  things, 
which  does  not  include  human  souls,  which  they  say  are  as  ' 
old  as  God,  and  constitute  the  church  which  always  existed 
with  God:  and  if  so,  must  have  been  a  portion  of  Himself; 
and  yet,  these  very  souls  became  in  time  ''dead  hi  trespasses 
and  sins,''^  love  and  live  in  sin,  and  in  rebellion  to  God,  while 
in  that  state,  and  if  not  changed  go  down  to  hell !  and  yet 
a  part  or  portion  of  God  Himself!  The  soul  that  always 
existed  vrith  God,  that  was  infused  as  a  portion  of  him- 
self into  Adam — 'Xo,  says  the  Parkerite,  the  soul  cannot 
go  to  hell:  very  true,  indeed,  if  it  be  as  he  says;  and 
well  may  he.  withhold  such  souls  from  the  non-elect,  for 
such  could  never  be  lost:  Thus,  the  Parkerite  having  giv- 
en the  elect,  souls  of  too  high  an  order  to  go  to  hell,  has 
to  seize  upon  another  dilemma,  that  of  giving  to  the  non- 
elect  something  in  lieu  of  human  souls,  which  is  a  seed, 
or  spirit  fromi  Satan,  with  wdiich  he  was  eternally  united, 
and  that  the  multiplying  of  the  woman's  conception,  was 
to  bring  forth  bodies  for  the  inhabitation  of  this  Satanic 
seed,  which  dvrells  in  them,  as  do  human  souls  in  the  "* 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


elect;  and  that  when  the  non-elect  die,  the  human  body 
goes  down  to  the  earth,  there  to  remain,  and  the  seed  of 
Satan,  I  suppose,  to  hell — so  of  Adam's  family,  no  part 
nor  portion  thereof  will  ever  go  there!  We  see  here  the 
reason  why  the  Parkerite,  for  consistency,  denies  the  re- 
surrrection  of  the  body. 

If  human  souls  be  of  the  high  origin  that  the  Parkerites 
suppose,  and  the  Satanic  seed  of  the  low  wicked  source  they 
contend  for,  we  might  very  reasonably  suppose  that  we  could 
recognize  the  elect  from  the  non-elect  in  their  course  here, 
and  that  the  Satanic  power  would  be  much  greater  over  the 
latter,  than  the  former,  who  had  souls  of  so  high  an  origin; 
but  neither  the  Scriptures  nor  observation  make  any  differ- 
ence. But  it  is  time  for  us  to  quote  the  text,  which  they  bring 
forward  in  confirmation  of  these  views:  "I  will  put  enmity  be- 
tween thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed; 
it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shall  bruise  his  head.  Gen. 
iii.  15.  The  plain  meaning  of  the  text,  both  with  respect  to  its 
literal  and  spiritual  import  was  afterwards  fully  verified.  There 
is  a  natural  enmity  between  the  human  race  and  serpents — so 
much  so  that  it  is  natural  for  us  to  hate  ihem.  And  there  is 
also  an  enmity  between  the  children  of  God,  and  the  children 
of  the  devil,  as  in  the  instance  between  Cain  and  Abel,  Isaac 
and  Esau,  &:c.  But  before  we  proceed  further,  it  will  be  well 
enough  to  consider  in  what  sense  Cain  and  Esau  were  the 
children  of  the  devil;  and  we  shall  find  it  to  be  only  in  a 
figurative  sense:  no  writings  abound  more  with  figures,  types, 
parables  and  the  like,  than  do  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Here 
follows  highly  figurative  language  again  in  the  exposition  of 
the  Parable  of  the  Tares,  by  Christ  himself;  ^'The  field  is  the 
world,  the  good  seed  are  the  children  of  the  Kingdom;  but 
the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one."  The  seed  of 
the  sower  was  good,  and  it  is  therefore  asked  from  whence 
came  the  tares?  The  reply  is,  that  an  enemy  sowed  them. 
The  devil,  through  his  ministers  and  false  teachers,  sowed  the 
bad  seed,  termed  in  the  parable,  tares ;  which  Paul  calls 


MANICIL^^O   FASKERITE  KERESf. 


'^■^another  gospel,"  and  what  we  may  now  term  the  various 
modifications  of  Judaism,  Romanism,  and  Arminianism,  &c. 
&c.  &c.  All  fleshly  converts  to  these  false  systems,  may  be 
called  the  children  of  the  devil,  in  a  figurative  sense:  while 
-spiritual  converts,  to  th.e  good  seed  sown  by  the  Son  of  Man, 
through  his  ministers,  iw  demonstration  of  the  spirit  and  of  pow- 
er, are  the  children  of  the  Kingdom.  These  have  to  live  to- 
gether in  the  same  church  here  on  earth,  and  in  the  same 
w^orld  during  their  natural  existence,  and  the  parable  may 
have  two  meanings  accordingly:  First,  that  the  tares  and  the 
wheat  are  so  blended  together  both  in  the  church  militant,  and 
in  the  world  at  large,  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  separate 
them  in  this  life,  in  eiiher  respect,  without  rooting  up  the 
v.'heat.  In  the  church  it  is  often  impossible  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  tares  and  the  wlieat,  and  som.etimes  when  we 
think  we  can,  we  are  afraid  to  remove  such,  lest  we  there- 
by hurt  cr  drive  away  others,  in  whom  we  have  confidence. 
Vre  are  therefore  cautioned  not  to  be  over  nice  about 
the  like.  It  is  probable,  that  we  have  not  as  a  denomination, 
profitted,  as  we  should  have  done,  by  the  instruction  given 
here.  We  have  ever  been  too  forward  to  put  away, 
reject,  and  keep  at  too  great  a  distance  those  who  oppose  our 
doctrine,  instead  of  instructing  them  in  meekness  and  in  love, 
as  we  have  been  commanded  to  do:  yet,  after  all,  we  are  not 
to  compromise,  or  dissemble  with  such  characters,  but  to  con- 
tend for  the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  let  the  consequences  be 
what  they  may.  Again:  this  parable  was  well  calculated  to 
rebuke  the  spirit  which  the  Apostles  entertained  w^hen  they 
asked  the  Lord  to  command  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven 
and  consume  their  opposers.  x\s  the  wheat  and  the  tares 
grow  together  in  the  world,  united  by  natural  ties  and  inter- 
ests, in  such  a  way  as  would  render  it  impossible  for  them  to 
be  separated  here.  Christians  are  directed  i'l  the  parable  to 
bear  v/ith  them.  As  the  Apostles  asked  the  Lord  to  consume 
such,  what  might  not  succeeding  believers  do  in  regard  to 
them?  they,  like  the  Apostles,  might  have  thought  it  right  for 
such  to  be  rooted  up  out  of  the  world,  the  field  in  vv-hich  they 

6 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


have  been  sowed.  But  this  would  have  been  in  violation  of 
the  Christian  spirit  and  commandments  of  the  Lord.  Be- 
sides, many  of  the  elect  have  parents,  brothers,  sisters,  friends, 
and  benefactors,  among  such,  constituting  earthly  ties  which 
cannot  be  broken  without  marring  the  happiness,  peace  and 
well-being  of  Christians  here.  Moreover:  the  order  of 
Providence,  in  bringing  the  elect  into  the  world,  would  be 
perverted  by  rooting  up  the  tares  out  of  the  field,  the  world, 
even  if  such  a  thing  were  practicable. 

We  have  been  thus  particular,  in  giving  an  exposition  of 
this  parable,  in  order  to  lead  off  the  mind  of  the  reader,  if  he 
be  a  Parkerite,  from  the  absurd  notion  that  the  tares  mean 
children  of  the  devil,  in  a  literal  sense,  with  a  connate  Satanic 
seed  implanted  in  them,  derived  in  some  way  or  another— for 
they  have  never  told  how — from  the  devil  himself,  and  that 
they  take  the  place  of  human  souls,  of  which  they  are  entire- 
ly destitute.  Then,  according  to  their  creed,  some  of  us  have 
souls,  and  others  none.  Human  beings  destitute  of  human 
souls!  What  a  distinction  in  nature!  How  absurd — how  ri- 
diculous! What  an  anomoly — a  human  being  without  a  soul! 
Paul  says  the  Gospel  was  preached  throughout  the  whole 
world.  Rom.  x,  18.  The  commission  was  to  preach  the 
Gospel  in  all  the  world.  Then  the  world  is  the  field,  wherein 
the  seed  is  sown.  We  find  the  parable  of  the  sower  just  in 
point  here:  The  seed  mentioned  in  this  parable  is  the  word  of 
God,  the  preached  word,  which  only  brings  forth  fruit  in  good 
g7^ound,  inan  honest  heart.  The  devil  has  great  pov/er  over  it, 
according  to  the  parable  w^hen  sown  by  the  way  side,  on  stony 
ground,  and  among  thorns,  and  can,  through  a  perversion  of 
it,  and  the  corruption  of  the  human  heart,  bring  forth  anti- 
Christ;  whose  coming  forth  is  said  to  be  according  to  his  work- 
ing: 2  Thes.  ii,  9;  can  in  a  figurative  sense,  become  in  this 
way,  the  father  of  all  false  worshippers:  the  originator  of  the 
doctrine  of  devils,  of  Pharisaism,  Pagan  Idolatry,  Judaism,  Ar~ 
minianism,  and  thus  go  forth  "with  all  power  and  signs,  and 
lying  wonders,"  and  with  all  deceivableness  of  unrighteous- 
ness in  them  that  perish;"  besides  all  this,  can,  if  necessary, 


MANICHiEO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


83 


transform  himself  into  an  angel  of  light.    Well  then,  may  his 
dupes  be  called  in  a  figurative  sense,  the  children  of  the  devil 
— -the  tares  sown,  the   seed  of  the  serpent;  hence  likewise 
the  .-aying  of  Christ,  "ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the 
lust  of  your  father  ye  will  do."    Thus  might  one  say  to  the 
Roman  Catholic,  ye  are  of  your  father  the  Pope,  and  the  lusts 
of  your  father  ye  will  do.    We  have  just  shown,  that  the  seed 
brought  forth  no  good  fruit,  only  when  it  fell  on  good  ground, 
when  it  was  received  in  an  honest  and  good  heart;  and  we 
ask,  from  whence  came  this  honest  and  good  heart?  Why 
this  difference  among  the  hearers  of  the  word  of  God?  Is  it  in- 
nate? is  it  in  the  hearer  himself?    Even  Paul  asks  a  similar 
question:  "Who  maketh  thee  to  differ  from  another?  and  what 
hast  thou,  that  thou  didst  not  receive?    iVow  if  thou  didst  re- 
ceive it,  why  dost  thou  glory,  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received  it?" 
1  Cor.  iv,  7.    See  the  difference  in  Paul's  state,  when  he 
heard  Stephen  preach  (Acts  7,)  and  when  visited  by  Ananias,, 
(Acts  ix.)    Does  not  Christ,  speaking  to  his  disciples  say  (Mat. 
xiii,  11.)  "it  is  given  unto  you  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  but  to  them  it  is  not  given."    Many  other 
texts  of  similar  import  might  be  quoted,  but  we  forbear.  The 
first  display  of  the  enmity  under  consideration,  took  place  be- 
tween Cain  and  Abel;  and  we  desire  to  approach  it  carefully 
with  Scripture  lights,  that  by  one  plain  statement  of  it,  we 
do  more  to  bring  it  plainly  in  view  of  all,  than  we  could  by"* 
any  kind  of  arguments,  or  reasoning:  'fCain  was  very  wroth," 
this  is  the  first  instance  of  it;  why  was  he  very  wroth?  Be- 
cause  "the  Lord  had  respect  to  Abel,  and  to  his  offering." 
Why  did  the  Lord  have  respect  unto  Abel's  offering  and  not 
unto  Cain's?    Let  Paul  answer:  "By  faith  Abel  offered  unto 
God  a  more  excellent  sacrifice  than  Cain."    But  from  whence 
came  faith?    It  is  ike  gift  of  God,  says  Paul.    Then  it  was  the  ; 
Lord  who  made  him  to  differ  from  Cain,  not  in  his  natural 
fallen  state,  by  having  in  his  providence,  given  him  a  soul,  and 
having  withheld  one  from  Cain,  but  by  bestowing  on  him  spir-  ■ 
itual  blessings,  (Eph.  i,  3;  John  iv,  23,)  and  witholding  them 
from  Cain.    This  enmity  did  not  originate  from  any  inborn , 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE' 


innate  difference,  but  took  placejust  as  soon  as  Abel  was  born 
again.  How  striking  is  the  exemplification  of  the  truth  here, 
that  "he  who  was  born  after  the  flesh,  persecuted  him  that 
was  born  after  the  spirit."  This  great  truth  may  be  shown 
clearly,  in  the  case  of  Paul.  He  aided  and  abetted  in  the  first 
Christian  Martyrdom;  (Acts  viii.)  and  was  heart  and  hand  in 
many  subsequent  actsof  cruel  persecution.  Observe,  there  was 
no  enmity  between  Paul  and  the  persecuting  Jews;  but  mark, 
as  soon  as  Paul  was  "born  again,"  a  difference  ensues,  and 
Paul  was  in  return  cruelly  persecuted  by  them  in  consequence 
of  their  enmity  towards  him.  Further  in  regard  to  Paul's  case: 
if  he  was  not  personally  among  those  unto  whom  Christ  said, 
"ye  are  of  yoxxv  father  the  devil,"  yet  he  v/as  there  in  statt% 
character,  enmity,  opposition,  &c.,  just  as  fully  then  as  any  of 
them,  and  might  thus  have  been  included  among  them.  The 
enmity  indicated  in  the  text,  cannot  be  found  any  where  among 
the  unregenerate.  The  soul  must  be  born  again,  before  it  can 
provoke,  or  call  forth  this  enmity,  must  be  born  of  the  very- 
seed  (which  is  Christ,  Gal.  iii,  1^3,)  mentioned  in  the  text,  and 
when  we  find  it  invariably  to  put  itself  forth  in  some  form  or 
another,  as  the  history  ofthe  church  in  all  ages  shows.  The 
latter  clause  ofthe  text  confirms  beyond  all  dispute,  this  view 
of  the  subject — that  the  seed,  means  Christ:, "//i  shall  bruise 
thy  head  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel ^  In  giving  an  exposition 
of  this  part  of  the  text  we  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  both  re- 
futing and  sho  wing  the  tenets  of  Parkerism — that  the  words  her 
seed  signify  the  children  of  God,  or  the  elect,  and  the  words  thy 
seed^  the  children  of  the  devil,  or  the  reprobates!  By  referring 
to  Gen.  iv,  25:  xv,  3:  xxv,  13.  Gal.  16,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
word  seed  signifies  a  single  person,  as  it  certainly  does  in  the 
text  under  consideration;  otherwise,  the  pronoun  it  would  not 
have  been  used  as  a  substitute  for  the  word  seed.  Had  the 
word  seed  been  used  in  the  plural  to  signify  the  children  of 
God,  or  the  elect,  according  to  the  Parkerite  notion,  the  word 
ihey  v/ould  have  been  employed  as  a  pronoun  substitutively 
for  the  noun  seed,  and  not  the  word  it.  The  pronoun  z7  never 
stands  for  persons,  males  nor  females;  hence  if  the  words  her 


MAJSTCH-EO   PAEKEEITE   HEEESY.      <.  -^^^^^  -     .  85 

seed  mean  the  children  of  God,  or  elect,  the  pronoun  iL  can 
have  no  agreement  with  any  word  in  the  text,  expressed  or  un- 
derstood, as  it  is  in  the  singular  number  an  d  can  only  as  a  rel- 
ative agree  with  an  antecedent  expressing  one  thing.  Al- 
though the  pronoun  it  belongs  to  the  neuter  gender,  and  is  for 
the  most  part  used  impersonally,  yet  it  may  notwithstanding 
relate  to  the  word  iced,  in  the  singular  mumber,  employed  as 
a  substitute  for  Christ,  who,  and  who  only,  was  to  bruise  the 
head  of  the  serpent,  the  devil:  for  had  the  word  seed  been 
employed  to  express  the  children  of  God,  or  the  elect,  the  pro- 
noun th'ij  would  haA"e  been  used — they  shall  hrutse  thy  head. 
Besides  this  interpretation,  receives  plain  and  strong  confir- 
mation from  the  concluding  words  of  the  text — and  thou  slialt 
b'ruse  his  heel.  The  pronominal  adjective  his,  in  its  tVv'o 
fold  character  of  adjective  and  pronoun  mmy  agree,  adjective- 
ly  Avith  a  noun  either  in  the  singular  or  plural,  but  pronomi- 
nally  only  with  one  in  the  singular  number,  then  the  vrords 
her  seea.  do  not  mean  seeds  as  of  maxy,  eut  as  or  OjXE, 
WHICH  IS  Cheist:  Gal.  iii,  16.  The  heel  of  Christ  is  meant 
— the  bruising  of  his  humanity  through  Satanic  instiga^ 
tion.  But  alasi  how  shall  we  convince  the  Parkerite  cf  his 
errors,  while  he  disregards  the  right  signification  of  words,  the 
proper  construction  of  language,  and  its  plain  meaningi  Be- 
sides 

"He  laughs  Trhaterer  Treapon  truth  rhav  (lra"w, 
And  deems  her  sharp  artillery  mere  straw. 
Scripture  indeed  is  plain,  but  God  and  he, 
On  scripture  ground  are  sure  to  disagree.*' 

Reader,  only  pause  and  reflect  for  a  moment,  what  this  seed 
was  to  do — to  bruise  the  head  of  Satan;  and  who  among  the 
fallen  sons  of  Adam,  vre  ask,  were  able  to  do  this?  We  answer, 
fearless  of  refutation^  that  the  seed  of  the  woman  did  not  sig- 
nify the  elect  or  children  of  God.  but  Christ  himself:  and  if  sOj 
{and  who  can  doubt  it"?*)  what  shift  will  the  Parkerite  make  to 
disengage  himself  from  the  micshes  he  has  woven  from  his 
strange  perversions  of  this  text.  If  Christ  be  meant,  then 
there  is  not  only  enmity  between  Christ  and  Satan,  but  also 


86 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


between  those  afterwards  born  of  Christ,  and  the  children  of 
the  devilj  figuratively  so  according  to  a  false  religion,  and 
until  born  of  Christ,  by  which  we  mean  the  same  as  when 
born  of  God,  all  are  united  to  Satan  in  the  same  way ^  elect  and 
non-elect  as  may  be  fully  proven  from  Luke  xii,  21,  and  other 
similar  texts.  Then  away  with  the  Parkerite  notion  of  an 
eternal  union  of  Satan,  with  an  eternal  seed  in  the  persons 
of  the  non-elect — yea,  cast  to  the  wind«,  even  the  notion  of 
a  Satanic  union  with  the  non-elect,  different  from  the  elect 
before  born  of  the  seed  that  was  to  bruise  the  head  of  the 
serpent.  The  clause  "And  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel,"  means, 
as  we  have  before  said,  the  bruising  of  the  humanity  of  Christ, 
in  the  crucifixion  of  him,  as  instigated  by  Satanic  influence 
and  power  over  the  hearts  of  his  wicked  crucifiers,  "when  he 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and  was  bruised  for  our 
iniquities." — Here  we  must,  at  present,  leave  this  subject. 

Third  Proposition:  To  set  forth  the  scriptural  account  of  the 
different  kinds  of  union,  between  Christ  and  his  people,  con- 
tradistinct  to  the  Parkerite  view  of  the  subject. 

Doubtless,  in  the  discussion  of  this  subject,  much  confusion, 
as  Vv^ell  as  misunderstanding  has  arisen  from  unqualified  dec- 
jarations  in  regard  to  it;  therefore,  when  w^e  speak  of  the  eter- 
nal union  between  Christ  and  the  Church,  we  should  always 
!name  the  kind  of  union  we  mean,  and  should  always  state 
the  sense  in  which  it  is  not  eternal. 

To  assert  in  an  unqualified  sense,  that  there  is  an  eternal 
?anion,  betwen  God  and  his  people, — that  the  church  existed 
from  everlasting, — that  it  is  as  old  as  God,  would,  as  we  have 
already  proved,  confound  God  and  his  people.  It  certainly  is 
a  "fixed  fact,"  that  nothing  can  be  brought  up  before  creation, 
from  everlasting,  without  blending  it  with  God — -without 
making  it  one  with  Him.  It  is  well  said,  that  extremes  often 
meet;  here  we  have  an  instance  of  it.  The  ultra  spiritualist 
and  materialist,  meet  in  this  extreme  or  absurdity.  Spinosa, 
an  ultra  materialist,  rejects  the  abstract  spiritual  existence  of 
God,  and  thereby  confounds  Him  with  the  material  universe. 


PARKERITE  HERESY. 


87 


v/nlle  the  ultra  spiritualist  rejects  the  creation  of  souls,  and  an- 
gels, and  thereb}-  blends  them  with  the  unorigiiiated  existence 
of  God,  making  them  one  with  Him,  as  the  materialist  does 
the  created  universe.  Both  are  wrong;  one  deifies  matter  and 
the  other  the  church.  The  materialists  say,  that  matter  is 
God,  and  that  its  evolutions,  changes,  and  general  course, 
are  the  results  of  its  own  eternal,  inherent  underived  powers 
and  laws;  and  spiritualist  that  the  church,  or  souls  of  the  peo- 
ple of  God  are  eternal  and  uncreated,  and  the  plain,  inductive 
conclusion  from  the  premise,  as  in  case  of  the  materialist,  is, 
that  the  church  is  God,  and  that  its  evolutions,  changes,  and 
general  course  are  the  results  of  its  own  eternal,  inherent, 
underived  powers  and  laws.  Sound  philosophy,  aided  by 
revelation,  discovers  to  us  a  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things, 
antecedent  to  creation,  the  Creator  of  the  Universe,  and  Gov- 
ernor thereof.  Likewise,  sound  Divinity,  based  on  the  Word 
of  God,  reveals  to  us  a  God  from,  everlasting,  unoriginated, 
eternal,  and  seif-existent,  distinct  from  the  church  and  mate- 
rial universe,  only  as  they  were,  completely  embraced  in  His 
foreknovvledge,  in  the  light  of  Vv-hich,  both  were  created  ac- 
cording to  His  infinite  vdsdom,  purpose,  pov;er  and  will. 

We  must  now  bring  our  subject  within  the  range  of  strong 
and  clear  scripture  lights,  a.s  we  design  showing  the  different 
kinds  of  union  between  Christ  and  the  Church,  God  and  his 
people. 

"God,  who  calleth  those  things  wiiich  be  not,  as  though 
they  were."  (Rom.  iv,  17,)  "Decharing  the  exd  from  the  be- 
ginning, and  from  ancient  timics,  the  thino:s  that  are  not  yet 
done,"  (Isa.  xlvi,  10.)  According  to  this  plan,  in  which  chance 
was  to  have  no  existence,  God  in  his  loreknowledge, pj'ogjiosis, 
pj'cenotio,  or  prescience  did  embrace  ail  things,  as  distinct  ob- 
jects of  regard  Vv^hich  were  not  as  though  they  were,  and  they 
could  in  this  way  have  a  -'representation"  or  substitutive  ex- 
istence in  the  foreknowledge  of  . God,  not  an  ^'esse  actu,'^  but' 
an  ^'-esse  reprcscntativumr  If  God  according  to  the  powder  of 
his  foreknovrledge,  could  thus  love,  predestinate,  elect,  fore- 


88 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


ordain,  and  perform  acts  with  regard  to  things  ivhich  be  not,. a,^ 
though  they  were,  then  we  may  say  that  in  the  foregoing 
sensCy  there  is  an  eternal  union  between  God  in  His  foreknow- 
ledge, and  in  His  love  to  a  people,  vJio  were  not,  as  though 
they  were.  We  have  now  indicated  the  only  kind  of  eternal 
union  which  existed  between  God  and  His  people,  and  we 
will  now  show  as  plainly,  on  the  same  principles,  how  God 
could  give  them  grace  in  Christ,  before  the  world  began,  ac- 
cording to  their  representation  by,  and  not  actual  existence  in 
Christ.  We  will  quote  a  plain  text  of  scripture  in  confirma- 
tion of  the  doctrine  advanced: — "Blessed  be  the  God  and 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us  with 
all  spiritual  blessing  in  heavenly  places  [things]  in  Christ;  ac- 
cording as  He  has  chosen  us  in  H^im,  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy  and  without  blame  be- 
fore Him  in  love."  Ep.  i,  3,  4.  According  to  the  plain  im- 
port of  this  text,  the  elect  were  blessed  with  all  spiritual  bles- 
sings in  Christ',  but  according  to  the  Parkerite  notion,  they 
were  blessed  in  Adam  with  uncreated  souls  as  a  divine  infu- 
sion from  God,  constituting  a  great  spiritual  blessing  indeed. 
As  this  blessing,  the  gift  of  souls,  was,  agreeable  to  their 
creed,  withheld  from  all  reprobates,  the  elect  certainly  had  a 
very  great  and  distinctive  spiritual  blessing  given  to  them  m 
Adam,  in  opposition  to  the  affirmation  of  the  Apostle,  that 
g// spiritual  blessings  were  given  to  them  in  Christ.  The  way 
or  manner  in  which  the  Lord  blessed  His  elect,  with  all  spir- 
itual blessings  in  Christ,  should  be  observed  very  attentively 
— Peter  and  Paul  will  then  teach  us  very  plainly  and  satisfac- 
torily the  way  it  was  done.  They  say  '-according  as  he  hath 
chosen  us  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world;"  but 
says  the  Parkerite,  how  could  the  Lord  choose  his  people  be  • 
fore  he  had  created  them?  Peter  says  they  were  elected  "ac- 
cording to  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  the  Father,"  according 
as  God  foreknew  them  in  connection  with  His  decree,  or  pur- 
pose to  create  them,  and  bring  them  into  existence  in  time. 
It  could  not  be  said  that  he  foreknew  them,  had  they  then 
existed  with  him,,  in  divine  union  with  himself  actually,  for 


MANlCIIyEO    PARKERITE  HERESY. 


the  term  foreknowledge — knowledge  of  a  thing  before  it  oc- 
curs— would  not  in  that  case  apply  to  them;  nor  would  there 
have  been  any  occasion  for  election,  as  all  would  have  been 
one  wdth  God.    For  this  reason,  the  Parkerite  we  presume, 
says  nothing  about  election  or  reprobation;  these  are  terms 
which  his  system  repudiates,  and  he  seldom,  therefore,  employs 
them.    Thus  he  can  preach  his  Gospel  in  a  way,  Paul  could 
not  his — without  election.    God  foreknowing,  and  foreseeing 
all  the  human  family  as  he  w^ould  bring  them  into  e5i:istence 
in  time,  gives  scope  at  once  to  his  election,  and  reprobation, 
according  to  His  grace,  mere}  ,  justice,  and  glory,  and  these 
things  \\\\\  take  their  course  according  to  His  decrees,  pur- 
pose, will,  course,  wisdom  and  power,  irrespective,  .all  the 
while,  of  any  foreseen  worth  or  w©rks  of  the  creature.  Hence, 
the  scriptures  so  often  refer  to  the  purpose,  to  the  will,  to  the 
course,  to  the  grace,  and  to  the  justice  of  God — His  election  " 
according  to  His  foreknowledge,  &c.  &c.,  things  about  which 
the  Parkerite  has  of  course  but  little  to  say.    Besides:  in  this 
Avay  God  could  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  Christ,  or- 
dered in  all  things  and  sure,  and  thus  secure  to  those  whom 
He  did  foreknow,  all  spiritual  blessings,  in  Christ,  necessary 
to  make  them  saints  on  earth  and  glorified  angels  in  heaven. 
And  thus  was  it  said  that  grace  was  given  to  them  in  Christ 
before  the  world  began.    In  this  way  also  his  delights  were 
with  the  sons  of  men,  before  their  creation — in  his  foreknow- 
ledge of  them,  and  in  the  exercise  of  his  wisdom,  purpose,  * 
gi'ace,  &c.,  towards  them.    According  to  the  Divine  plan  of 
salvation  as  just  indicated,  Paul,  Andronicus,  and  Junia,  were 
given  to  Christ  at  the  same  time,  were  chosen  in  him  at  the 
same  time,  ^vere  loved  with  the  same  everlasting  love,  had 
grace  given  at  the  same  time,  and  were  blessed  at  the  same 
time,  with  spiritual  blessings  in  Christ:  but  one  m.ay  receive 
these  blessings  actually  before  another — may  become  united 
ac^z^a//?/ to  Christ  before  others — may  become  a  new  creature  in 
Christ  before  others — may  be  taken  into  Christ  before  others, 
even  as  were  Andronicus  and  Junia  before  Paul,  '^vho  also," 
says  Paul,  were  in  Christ  ^e/br^  me;"  Rom.  xvi,  7.  Andronicus 


90 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


and  Junia  were  born  of  the  incorruptible  seed,  which  is  Christ, 
a  quickening  spirit,  or  the  Holy  Spirit  before  Paul  was.  They 
received  in  time,  some  of  those  spiritual  blessings,  where- 
with they  had  according  to  God's  foreknowledge,  been  bles- 
sed in  Christ  in  common  with  Paul,  and  all  others,  before. 
Paul  did,  and  thus  became  actually  united  to  Christ  hefore 
Paul  was.  We  ask  the  Parkerite,  how,  according  to  his  te- 
nets, could  Andronicus  and  Junia  be  in  Christ  before  Paul  was? 
they  certainly  could  not  have  been  there  before  him  in  the  fore- 
knowledge, love,  purpose,  predestination  and  election  of  God, 
then  it  must  have  been  as  we  have  just  shown. 

We  believe  and  contend  that  all  these  spiritual  blessings 
are  uncreated  and  eternal,  and  were  in  covenant  ^iven  ac- 
cording to  the  fore-knowledge  of  God  to  the  elect,  and  that  in 
time  they  take  the  unfrustrable  course  of  God's  election:  be- 
sides they  are  blessings  which  saints  are  said  to  receive,  1  Cor. 
iv,  7 — and  surely  they  cannot  be  said  to  receive  that  which 
they  had  actually  from  everlasting! 

Observe,  that  all  spiritual  blessings,  love,  grace,  mercy, 
quickening,  eternal  life,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification, 
redemption,  perseverence,  resurrection,  and  the  everlasting 
joys  of  heaven— all  these  were  given  to  us  in  Christ,  in  the 
everlasting  covenant;  (2  Sam.  xx  iii  5,)  not  one  of  "them  giv- 
en to  us  in  Adam,  according  to  our  actual  existence  then  in 
him,  or  anywhere  else,  but  in  Chri'st  alone,  in  the  sense  \ye 
have  just  seen,  according  as  He  chose  us  in  Him,  and  blessed 
us  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world;  according  to 
our  foreseen  persons,  which  foreknowledge  gave  a  kind  of 
representative  being  there,  which  existed  alone  in  the  mind 
and  purpose  of  God;  but  just  as  complete  as  though  all  these 
things  had  had  an  actual  existence  in  time. 

If  God  "calleth  those  things  which  be  not  as  though  they 
were,"  could  he  not  from  what  has  been  stated,  love  "things 
which  be  not  as  though  they  were" — could  he  not  predestinate 
things  "which  be  not  as  though  they  were — could  he  not,  as 
the  Apostle  says,  elect  according  to  His  foreknowledge  a  peo- 


MANICH^O   PARKERITE  HERESY. 


pie  that  ''were  not  as  though  they  were."  Then  in  this  way, 
God  can  give  us  grace  in  Christ  before  the  w^orld  or  our  actual 
being  began,  and  bless  his  elect  with  all  spiritual  ble::sings  in 
the  same  way,  and  thus  "bare  them  and  carried  them,  all  the 
days  of  olc];"  Isa.  Ixiii,  9. 

We  will  give  an  example  of  these  things;  "In  thy  book  all 
my  members  were  written,  which  in  continuance  were  fashion- 
ed WHEN  AS  YET  there  w^as  none  of  them!"  Did  not  these  then 
have  a  representative,  being,  or  existence,  in  the  mind,  or  fore- 
knowledge of  God,  WHEN  AS  YET  THERE  WAS  NONE  OF  THEM?  God 

provided  natural  blessings  for  man  before  He  created  him — he- 
fore  he  had  a  natural  existence,  and  is  it  unreasonableSto  sup- 
pose that  he  provided  spiritual  blessings  for  him  likewise,  be- 
fore he  had  a  spiritual  existence  before  he  w^as  "born  again?" 

The  elect  had  a  representative  ubsistence  in  the  love  of  God, 
(Jer.  xxxi,  3,)  and  therefore  an  eternal  love-union  with  him 
"u-/z^7z  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them"  actually ;  in  the  elec- 
tion of  God,  in  this  w^ay,  also  (1  Pe.  i,  2,)  we  see  an  eternal 
election-union  with  Him,  ^'when  there  was  none  of  them"  ac- 
tually. We  see  again,  (Rom.  viii.  29.)  how  his  predestination 
embraced  them,  whom  he  did  foreknow,  and  how  He  w^as  eter- 
nally united  to  them  in  the  decree  to  conform  them  to  the 
image  of  his  son,  to  call  them,  to  justify  them,  and  to  glorify 
them,  ^'when  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them."  They,  the  elect 
were  blessed  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  Christ,  according 
to  a  representative  being,  or  subsistence  in  him,  through  the 
foreknowledge,  purpose,  predestination,  election,  love,  grace, 
and  mercy  of  God,  "when  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them.'^ 
The  Lord  loved  them  with  an  everlasting  love  when  they  did 
not  actually  exist,  when  they  had  only  a  representative  exis- 
tence in  his  foreknov^iedge,  and  when  they  are  brought  into 
existence  in  time.  He  draws  them  with  loving  kindness, 
through  regeneration  into  actual  union  with  Himself.  It  is 
no  longer  the  distant  love  of  God  in  his  foreknowledge,  as  in 
eternity,  but  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  actually  in  the  heart 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  establishing  a  sensible  union,  as  well  as 


92 


A  REFUTATION    OF  THE 


actual  between  God  and  the  creature.  This  vital  actual 
union,  begins  with  quickening — the  receiving  of  those  spirit- 
ual blessings,  with  which  the  people  of  God  were  blessed, 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  when  they  had  no  actual 
existence,  but  which  they  receive  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's 
visitation,  and  through  which  a  vital  actual  union  is  brought 
about,  between  God  and  the  soul,  and  when  all  these  spiritu- 
al blessings  shall  have  been  received,  a  vital,  actual  union  will 
ensue  likewise  between  God  and  our  vile  mortal  bodies;  Rom. 
viii,  11,30.  The  Evangelist,  St.  John,  brings  the  same  things 
to  view  also:  "of  His  fullness  have  we  all  received,  and  grace 
for  grace."  John  i,  16.  The  grace  of  immediate  love  shed 
abroad  in  the  soul,  for  the  grace  of  everlasting  love,  the  grace 
of  present  sanctification,  for  the  grace  of  eternal  election  to 
it — the  grace  of  being  conformed  to  the  image  of  Christ,  for 
the  grace  of  predestination  to  it,  the  grace  of  effectual  calling 
for  the  grace  of  foreordination  to  it,  the  grace  of  justification 
for  that  of  calling,  and  the  grace  of  glorification  for  the  grace 
of  justification. 

The  remarks  made  in  the  introduction  to  the  subject .  of 
eternal  union  between  God  and  his  people,  appl}'  with  equal 
force  to  that  of  justification;  which  is  eternal  in  the  same 
sense  that  the  union  pf  Christ  and  his  church  is,  and  to  bring 
forward  the  scriptures  and  arguments  to  prove  it  would  be  to 
repeat,  the  most  in  principle  at  least,  that  has  been  advanced 
on  the  subject  of  the  Scriptural  kinds  of  union  between  the 
Lord  and  his  people.  Hence,  we  will  leave  our  reader  to  re- 
flect on  the  subject,  with  this  one  remark,  that  justification 
on  the  pari  of  God,  according  as  he  entertained  from  everlas- 
ting the  Divine  plan  of  salvation  in  his  foreknowledge,  pur- 
pose, covenant,  &:c.,  is  eternal,  and  is  one  of  those  spiritual 
blessings,  wherewith  we  were  blessed  in  Christ,  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  and  in  time  we  receive  it  ajter  our 
calUng.  Therefore  it  may  be  said  to  be  eternal  in  a  qualified 
sense,  and  not  eternal  in  a  qualified  sense:  for  the  sinner  is 
not  actually  justified  before  he  shall  have  received  the  bless- 


MANICH.EO   PARKERITE  HERESY. 


ing  of  justification,  an}^  more  than  he  is  actually  born  again, 
or  glorified,  6e/b?'^  he  shall  have  received  those  blessings. 

Let-  us  beware  how  we  confound  the  purposes  of  God,  in 
eternity,  with  their  accomplishments  in  time,  the  eternal  pre- 
destination of  God,  with  its  being  carried  out  in  time  in  the 
creature,  for  these  things  are  strangely  confounded  b}^  some, 
who  have  much  to  say  about  them;  and  unfortunately  the 
same  confusion  runs  through  their  discussion  of  other  sub- 
jects. For  instance,  when  they  speak  of  the  children  of  Godj 
they  make  none  of  those  distinctions  we  have  just  been  treat- 
ing of.~As  to  actuality  of  existence,  the}^  seem  to  know  no 
difference  between  elect  children  as  foreknown  of  God,  and 
children  "born  again;"  likewise  no  difference  between  the 
predestination  of  God,  to  the  adoption  of  children,  and  their 
actually  receiving  the  adoption  of  sons.  We  ask  how  can  the 
Lord  adopt  his  own  children?  this  would  be  contrary  to  the 
meaning  of  the  word  adoption.  Let  us  see,  the  tevm  idothesia, 
adoptio,  adoption — the  taking  and  treating  of  a  stranger  as 
one's  own  child.  Then  the  Parkerite  has  no  way  of  evading 
this  plain  meaning  of  adoption,  than  to  say  that  a  Father 
may  adopt  his  own  children.  Take  notice;  our  exposition  of 
adoption  is  in  strict  conformity  to  the  word  of  God. — Saints 
were  predestinated  unto  the  adoption  of  children;  but  do  not 
actually  receive  the  blessing  of  adoption  until  they,-  in  time,  as 
the  fallen  sons  and  daughters  of  Adam,  receive  the  adoption  of 
sons — receive  that  which  God  had  purposed  in  eternity  to 
give  in  time;  Gal.  iv.  5.  And  when  they  receive  the  bless- 
ings of  adoption,  unto  w4iich  they  were  predestinated,  they 
likewise  receive  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  they  cry 
Abba  Father. 

Before  dismissing  the  present  subject,  we  will  refer  to  an- 
other text  greatly  perverted  by  the  Parkerite: — "For  as  much 
then  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also 
himself  likewise  took  part  in  the  same  &c.,  He.  ii,  13.  The 
Parkerite  supposes  that  they  were  the  children  of  God  actuaVy, 
before  the  creation  of  Adam,  and  that  they  partook  of  flesh  and 


I 


94 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


blood  through  him,  hence  they  say ,-^Christ  "also  himself  like- 
wise took  part  of  the  same"  &c.  And  to  indicate  Parkerism 
more  fully,  we  will  state  their  counterpart  to  this,  they  say 
"the  children  of  the  devil,  or  seed  of  the  devil  were  his  chil- 
dren or  seed  actually  before  the  creation  of  Adam,  even  from  ever- 
lasting, and  that  they  partook  of  flesh  and  blood,  through  the 
multiplied  conception  of  the  woman!  Hence  their  eternal  union 
with  Satan. 

We  have  only  to  direct  the  mind  of  the  reader  to  what 
we  have  set  forth  with  regard  to  prospective  existences 
according  to  the  prescience  of  God,  and  the  prospective  ar- 
rangements made  for  those  existences,  which  were  fore- 
known and  provided  for,  both  naturally  and  spirituall}^,  as 
children  ^^who  were  not^  as  though  they  were?''  In  this  way 
the  Father  gave  them  to  the  son — in  this  way  He  also  gave 
them  grace  in  His  Son,  and  acted  in  this  way  towards  them  in 
all  things,  up  to  the  time  of  their  natural  existence.  K  pros- 
pective arrangement  had  been  made  for  them,  in  natural  things, 
of  which  they  partook  as  natural  blessings  as  soon  as  they 
were  created;  and  spiritual  blessings  were  likewise  provided 
for  them,  of  which  they  partake  when  born  again  and  brought 
into  actual  living  union  with  Christ. 

They,  as  well  as  the  non-elect,  had,  we  admit,  a  determinate, 
prospective  existence  in  the  mind  of  God,  from  everlasting; 
and  in  this  way  God  knew  them  by  name,  by  number — could 
give  them  grace  according  to  His  eternal  purpose — could  elect 
them  to  salvation — could  provide  a  Saviour  for  them — could  en- 
ter into  an  everlasting  covenant  with  Christ  with  respect  to 
them — order  it  in  all  things,  and  make  it  just  as  sure  as 
though  it  had  been  fulfilled.  Thus,  likewise,  Christ  became 
their  Great  Surity  and  Trustee.  It  is  only  according  to  this 
view  of  things  that  Christ  could  have  suffered  for  the  un- 
committed sins  of  unborn  sinners — only  as  God  beheld  them 
prospectively,  and  imputed  them  to  His  Son  hcfoie  they  were 
committed, 

.  Moreover:  In  the  above  manner  the  Lord  could  know  the 


MAXICH.EO    PARKERITE  HERESY. 


95 


wicked  before  their  actual  existence,  and  could  reject 
them,  and  provide  a  place  of  punishment  for  them.  Mat, 
XXV,  34. 

Much  more  might  be  VvTitten  on  these  subjects,  and  many 
other  things  might  be  explained  in  the  same  way,  but  we 
must  conclude  this  division  of  our  address,  and  take  up  the 
last  one. 

The  Change  and  Resurrection  of  our  Natural  Bodies  come 
NOW  to  be  considered.  We  will  at  once  show  our  subject  in 
unclouded  Scripture  light. — "And  the  graves  were  opened, 
and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  which  slept  arose  and  came  out 
of  the  graves  after  His  resurrection,  and  went  into  the  Holy 
City  and  appeared  unto  many.  Now  is  Christ  risen  from  the 
dead  and  become  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept."  Mat. 
xxvii,  53,54;  1st  Cor.  xv,  20. 

The  simple  term  "Resurrection"  does  not  fully  embrace  our 
subject,  yet  it  might  not  be  amiss  to  show  its  literal  import. 
The  Greek  word  from  which  it  has  been  derived  is  Anastasis 
from,  Anistemi,  to  raise  up,  to  cause  to  rise,  to  arouse,  to  ex- 
cite, to  raise  from  the  ground,  awaken,  rouse  from  sleep,  cause 
to  revive  the  dead.  The  Latin  word  Resurrectio^  from  Re- 
surgo,  means  the  same,  and  hence  our  English  word  Resurrec- 
tion signifies  "arising  again;  cJdeJly,  the  revival  of  the  dead  of 
the  human  race,  or  their  return  from  the  grave,  particularly  at 
the  general  judgment."  The  Greek  and  Latin  verbs  Anis-- 
temi  and  Resurgo  were  used  by  Greek  and  Latin  waiters,  it  is 
true,  with  regard  to  other  things,  such  as  to  awaken,  to  revive 
the  dead,  &c.  ,  and  although  not  applied  to  the  resurrection  of 
the  body,  yet,  when  used  by  the  Evangelical  and  Christian  wri- 
ters, there  is  not  the  least  violation  of  its  original  import. 
They  are  the  very  words  which  they  would  have  used  had 
they  known  the  doctrine  of  the  resuirection  of  the  body,  and  had 
spoken  or  written  about  it.  For,  when  they  heard  Paul 
preach  the  resurrection,  saying  "He  hath  given  assurance  unto 
all  mxcn;  in  that,  {anasiesas  auton  ek  nekron)  he  hath  raised  him 
from  the  dead."    And  when  they  heard  of  (anastasin  nekron) 


96 


A  REPUTATION  OF  THE 


the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  they  doubtless  understood  Paulj 
as  they  thought  it  "a  thing  incredible"  and  "mocked,"  and  but. 
a  few  believed. 

We  have  proven  most  clearly  the  resurrection  of  the  body, 
both  according  to  the  letter  and  example  of  it  in  the  case  of 
Christ,  and  those  who  rose  at  the  time  he  did.  Let  us  see  if 
we  have  not.  What  arose  then?  Many  bodies  of  the  saints. 
From  whence  did  they  arise?  Oat  of  the  graves.  How  did 
Christ  arise?  In  his  own  human  body,  and  as  they  did,  out  of 
the  grave.  Here,  then  are  i]iejirst  fruits  a  pledge  of  the  same 
blessing  to  all  others.  And  we  have  also  shown  the  true  im- 
port of  the  word  Resurrection;  and  yet  we  know  that  some 
will  say,  "How  are  the  dead  raised  up?  and  with  what  body 
do  they  come?"  The  answer  is  at  hand — "That  which  thou 
sowest  is  not  quickened  except  it  die.  And  that  which  thou 
sowest,  thou  sowest  not  that  body  that  shall  be  but  bare  grain; 
it  may  chance  of  wheat  or  some  other  grain.  But  God  giveth 
it  a  body,  as  it  hath  pleased  Him,  and  to  every  seed  His  own 
body."  The  same  rule  applies  likewise  to  the  different  kinds 
of  flesh,  and  to  bodies  celestial  and  terrestrial. 

Here  we  are  presented  with  the  change  of  quality,  which  will 
take  place  in  our  bodies  at  the  resurrection,  and  the  manner 
in  which  it  will  occur.  The  dead  human  body  is  compared 
to  a  "grain  of  wheat  or  some  other  grain"  when  cast  into  the 
ground.  Christ  says,  "Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  except  a 
corn  of  v/heat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone ; 
but  if  it  die  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  And  one  who  had 
never  witnessed  the  development  of  a  grain,  or  seed  of 
any  kind,  through  the  process  of  death  and  quickening, 
would  regard  a  relation  of  it  as  "an  incredible  thing,"  as 
did  the  Romans  the  resurrection.  Thus  one  would  never 
arrive  at  a  knowledge  of  the  effects  of  death  'and  quickening 
on  the  seed  a  priori;  nor  would  they  ever  a  posteriori  trace 
back  such  developments  to  such  an  origin,  or  cause,  if  they 
were  not  familiar  with  such  things.  Take,  for  instance,  the 
acorn,  and  examine  it  as  you  may,  and  if  no  one  had  never 


MANICH.EO  PARKERITE  HERESY.  . 

seen  an  oak  arise  from  it,  who  could  conceive  of  the  glory  of 
its  resurrection,  through  its  vegetative  death  and  quickening. 
Look  at  its  deep  diverging  roots,  its  strong  towering  trunk, 
its  majestic  branches  and  its  verdant  foliage,  spread  out 
in  all  the  impressive  beauty  of  ornamental  design.  The 
grain  of  corn,  how  devoid  of  comeliness  or  form,  but  cast  it 
into  the  ground,  let  it  die,  ^nd  come  forth  into  vegitative  vital- 
ity and  progressive  development,  and  we  begin  to  admire 
its  green  luxuriant  stalk,  its  expanded  blades,  its  scarlet 
silks,  and  crowning  tassel;  see  what  glory  it  has  attained 
through  death  and  quickening.  Behold  the  dimiinutive  seed 
t)f  the  cedar,  and  then  look  at  its  glory  on  Mount  Leba- 
non;  you  will  then,  in  some  degree,  be  prepared  to  look, 
from  the  grave  of  death  and  corruption  to  glorified  bodies 
in  heaven.  If  a  change  as  great  as  we  see  between  the 
acorn  and  the  majestic  oak, — between  the  grain  and  the 
fully  developed  corn, — between  the  diminutive  cedar  berry 
and  the  tali  stately  trees  on  Lebanon,  surely  there  will  be  a- 
great  and  glorious  change,  and  just  such  a  change  was  in  the 
apostle's  view  of  the  subject.  He  says,  in  further  illustration 
of  it,  "So  also  is  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  it  (the  human 
body)  is  sown  in  corruption  ;  it  is  raised  in  incorruption ;  it  is 
sown  in  dishonor;  it  is  raised  in  glory;  it  is  sown  in  weak-- 
ness ;  it  is  raised  in  power  ;  it  is  sown  a  natural  body ;  it  is 
raised  a  spiritual  body."  See,  it  is  the  body,  and  not  figura- 
tive language  concerning  the  soul,  but  the  body  itself,  referred 
to  by  three  relatives  ;  and  expressed,  as  though  it  v/ere  done 
to  forestall  the  Parkerite  dream  of  the  resurrection.  The 
body  at  the  time  of  its  death,  be  that  as  it  may,  is  the  seed 
sown,  which  fact  at  once  nullifies  all  the  idle  vagaries  about 
its  previous  physiological  changes,  on  which  such  seriou?  ■ 
considerations  have  of  late  been  bestowed  by  christian 
philosophers.  It  is  then  the  human,  natural,  mortal  or  vile 
body  that  will  be  thus  changed,  and  not  the  soul,-  or  spiritual 
mystic  body,  as  we  once  heard  one  of  the  Parkerite  scribe? 
afiirm.  He  said  that  the  human  body  would  at  death  go 
down  to  the  earth,  there  to  remain;  for,  said  he,  exultingly, . 


m 


A  REFUTATION   OP  THE 


how  can  there  be  an  inner  man  without  soul  and  body;  and 
he  thus  intimated  that  the  soul  would  have  a  body  after  the 
natural  body  was  cast  off,  but  this  Manichse an  Tyro  forgot 
that  there  was  likewise  an  "outward  man"  (2  Cor.  10,  19,) 
who  according  to  his  showing  cannot  be  a  man  without  a 
soul,  as  the  other  could  not  without  a  body  !  O!  pudor.  And 
yet  we  are  told,  as  we  heard  an  esteemed  brother  say,  not 
long  ago,  that  the  reason  why  we  oppose  the  Parkerites,  or 
their  notions  is,  because  they  have  learned  more,  and  can  see 
further  into  these  subjects  than  we  can.  Take  this  as  an 
instance  of  it. 

But  to  return  to  our  subject. — The  body  is  through  death 
;an^  corruption  brought  into  a  state,  from  which  it  will  be 
i  revived,  not  as  the  grain  or  seed,  by  the  sun  and  the  rain,  but 
by  the  spirit  of  God — "If  the  spirit  of  Him  that  raised  up 
Jesus  from  the  dead  dwells  in  you.  He  that  raised  up  Christ 
from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  bodies,  by  His 
spirit  that  Jwelleth  in  you."    The  body  will  come  forth 
changed,  just  as  the  grain  comes  forth  according  to  the 
,  changes  we  have  just  seen.    "Thou  soweth  not  that  body  that 
shall  be,  but  bare  grain  ;"  not  the  stalk  of  wheat,  but  the  bare 
grain,  not  the  oak  tree,  but  the  bare  acorn,  not  the  stately 
cedar,  but  the  diminutive  seed  thereof;  by  all  of  which  we 
learn  that  it  is  not  the  spiritual  body  which  is  sown,  but  the 
corruptable,  dishonorable,  weak,  natural  body,  comparable  to 
the  bare  grain,  which  is  sown  and  quickened  into  life,  when 
the  corruptible  body  will  put  on  incorruption  and  this  mortal 
body  put  on  immortality.    Here  we  see  the  great  change  that 
will  take  place  in  our  bodies — a  change  of  quality,  in  our  natural 
'bodies  and  not  a  creation  of  new  ones,  just  such  a  change  as 
will  pass  on  living  Saints  at  the  coming  of  Christ :  for  flesh 
and  blood,  unchanged,    unspiritualized,  unquickened,  and 
unblessed  with  spiritual  blessings,  cannot,  as  the  apostle 
says,  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God  ;  neither  can  the  soul,  un- 
changed, unregenerated,  and  unblessed  with  suitable  spirit- 
,ual  blessings.    "JF^  shall  all  he  cjianged.''^    I  think  that  modern 


MANICH^O  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


ministers,  in  discussing  the  subject  of  tlie  resurrection  do  not 
show,  according  to  scripture  light,  the  great  and  glorious 
<:hange  which  our  bodies  will  undergo  at  the  resurrection  ;  not- 
withstanding it  is  so  important  that  it  should  be  done,  as  it  is 
inseparably  connected  with  it.  And,  by-the-bye,  it  is  clearly 
revealed  in  the  scriptures  that  our  vile  bodies  are  not  only  to 
be  raised  again  from  the  grave,  but  that,  they  are  to  be  changed 
likewise,  fashioned  like  unto  the  glorious  body  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  We  have  tried  to  set  this  subject  forth, 
as  before  stated,  not  as  it  may  involve  problems,  unresolved 
at  present,  but  as  it  has  pleased  the  Lord  to  reveal  it  to  us, 
as  we  find  it  in  the  letter,  and  examples  of  the  Book  of  God, 
and  we  are  aware  that  we  have  not  written  the  half  that  might 
be  on  this  vital  subject  of  Christianity. 

There  has  been  much  figurative  language  used  with  respect 
to  the  resurrection,  which  some  have  seized  upon  and  tried 
thereby  to  reduce  the  whole  to  a  figure,  but  instead  of  the 
truth  of  a  real  resurrection  being  weakened  by  it,  it  is,  on 
the  contrary,  strengthened,  for  how  could  there  be  figurative 
language  used,  when  there  was  no  reality  to  predicate  it  of. 

But  after  all  the  revealed  light  we  have  on  the  subject  of 
the  resurrection  of  our  bodies,  and  the  examples  given  of  it, 
the  Parkerite  will  not  admit  it,  but  entertains  a  notion  about 
it  subversive  of  the  whole  matter.  His  conception  is  predicat- 
ed of  the  erroneous  propositions  that  only  the  elect  fell  in 
Adam,  that  all  human  souls  are  eternal,  and  were  infused 
into  Adam  at  the  time  of  the  formation  of  his  body,  and  that 
the  multiplication  of  the  woman's  conception  was  to  engender 
bodies  for  the  abode  of  a  seed  from  Satan.  Human  bodies, 
therefore,  are  held  in  low  estimation  by  them,  and,  when  they 
die,  go  to  the  dust  from  whence  they  were  formed,  the  soul  to 
God,  with  a  mystic,  imaginary  body  of  its  own,  and  the  seed 
of  the  devil  back  to  him,  and  the  body  in  which  it  dwelt,  like 
that  of  the  Saint,  to  the  dust,  never  to  rise  again.  Thus  the 
bodies,  both  of  the  just  and  unjust,  are  never  to  rise  again, 
but  the  soul  returns  to  God  to  be  again  confounded  with  Him. 


100 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


and  can  have  no  distinctive  existence  or  being  of  its  own^ 
while  the  seed  of  the  devil  returns  to  him  to  be  one  with  him 
again — so,  in  the  winding  up  of  the  whole  affair,  there  will 
be  one  God  and  one  Eternal  Evil  Spirit.  This  is  a  fair  induc- 
tion from  their  erroneous  premises — a  palpable  reductio  ad 
absurdum. 

How  different  is  this  absurdity  from  the  conclusive  words 
of  Christ:  "The  hour  is  coming,  in  which  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  His  voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they  that 
have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 

The  bodies  of  the  saints,  when  changed,  will  have  some 
glorified  likeness  to  those  we  have  now,  and  "will  be  a  !fit 
dwelling-place  for  the  soul ;  the  hovel  will  become  a  palace  ; 
the  bud  will  burst  into  a  flower,"  and  body  and  soul  will  be  at 
peace  with  each  other,  in  the  person  of  a  glorified  saint. 
While  the  bodies  of  the  saints  are  thus  changed,  and  fashion^ 
ed  like  unto  the  glorious  body  of  Christ,  the  bodies  of  the 
wicked  will  come  forth  in  such  a  vile  form  as  to  excite  ever- 
lasting scorn  and  contempt.  "Behold,  I  show  you  a  mystery; 
we  shall  not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  be  changed,  in  a  moment, 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump;  for  the  trumpet 
shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised  uncorruptible,  and  we 
shall  be  changed." 

Conclusion. — We  will  now  take  a  general  retrospect  of  what  we  have  written, 
and  compare  tenets  with  our  opponents.  Let  us,  then,  make  otit  a  synopsis  of  the 
Parkerite  creed : 

1.  They  believe  there  is  an  uncreated,  self-existent  and  eternal  God,  infinite  in 
Wisdom,  Power  and  Holiness.  2.  They  beheve  there  is  an  uncreated  self-existent, 
eternal  Evil  Spirit,  or  Devil,  intelligent,  wicked,  cunning  and  antagonistic  to  God. 
3.  They  say  that  the  soul  of  Christ  is  uncreated  and  eternal.  4.  They  fancy  that 
the  souls  of  the  Children  of  God,  or  the  Elect,  are  uncreated  and  eternal,  and  were 
always  in  actual  union  with  God.  5.  They  contend  that -all  the  souls  of  the  Children 
of  God  Tycfe.  infused  into  Adam,  and  pass,  by  a  procreation  of  human  bodies,  into 
the  persons  of  the  elect.  6.  They  assert  that  the  reprobates  have  no  souls,  and  that 
their  bodies  are  a  multiplication  of  the  woman's  conception  for  the  reception  of  a 
connate  Satanic  seed,  uncreated  and  eternal,  instead  of  souls,  with  which  Satan  was 
eternally   united.    '7.  They  affirm  thatj  at    death,  the  soul  returns  to  God,  and 


MANICHiEO   PARKERITE    HERESY.  lOi 

the  seed  of  Satan  to  him.  8.  They  deny  the  resurrection  of  the  bodies  of  the  just 
and  unjust. 

We  object  to  the  first  article,  only  because  it  does  not 
exclude  all  things  anterior  to  creation,  when  God,  and  God 
only,  existed,  in  His  own  Divine  Solitude.  The  second  item 
of  their  creed  runs  unavoidably  into  Polytheism,  and,  although 
g^reatly  modified  and  refined  by  the  lights  of  Christianity,  yet 
it  still  includes  the  old  Polytheistic  notion,  which  has  ever 
been  at  issue  with  the  revelation,  which  God  has  made  of 
Himself  as  the  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things.  When  we 
consider  the  great  natural  propensities,  in  the  human  heart,  to 
set  up  more  gods  than  one,  we  are  not  surprised  at  this  modern 
refinement  of  the  old  crudities  of  heathen  mythology.  How 
difficult  it  has  been  to  keep  down  this  species  of  heresy  among 
Jews,  Christians  and  tieathens.  The  third  article  confounds 
Christ's  soul  and  his  divinity,  and  involves  the  untenable 
notion  that  Christ  suffered  in  his  divinity  when  he  made  his 
soul  an  offering  for  sin,  and  when  his  soul  was  exceeding 
sorrowful  unto  death.  If  the  soul  of  Christ  be  uncreated, 
unoriginated  and  eternal,  it  is  nothing  less  than  divinity  itself. 
Their  fourth  proposition — that  human  souls  are  uncreated  and 
eternal — blends  them,  in  such  a  way,  with  the  divinity  of  God, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  between  them.  Then, 
strange  to  tell,  after  they  have  been  infused  into  Adam,  they 
fall  in  him,  become  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  roll  sin  under 
the  tongue  as  a  sweet  morsel,  and  drink  in  iniquity  as  the  ox 
doth  water.  Divine  souls,  uncreated  souls,  souls  blended 
with  the  divinity  of  God,  become  thus  defiled,  by  Satan  and 
sin,  until  comparable  to  a  cage  of  unclean  birds  !  What 
absurdities  !  Human  souls  are  certainly  not  of  the  high  order 
ascribed  to  them  by  Parkerites,  but  a  part  of  God's  creation, 
and  were  capable  of  transgressing  the  Law  of  God,  and 
taking  the  ruinous  course  of  sin  we  have  just  seen.  In  what 
way  we  are  personally  endowed  with  souls  lias  not  been  re- 
vealed, and  as  no  physiological  researches  have  ever  solved  the 
problem  we  shall  not  attempt  it.  Their  sixth  delusion  makes 
an  unnatural  Manichsean  difference  in  the  family  of  man,  in 


102 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


asserting  that  one  part  have  souls  and  the  others  have  not! 
What  a  difference  in  nature — how  great  a  difference  between 
man  and  man  !  Surely,  the  Parkerite  will  get  ashamed  of  this 
item  of  his  creed,  and  blot  it  out.  The  seventh  article  con- 
tains absurdities  which  have  been  shown  previously.  The 
eighth  notion  is  a  plain  denial  of  the  resurrection  of  our 
bodies !  What  a  serpentine  doctrine  !  It  affects  to  believe 
the  Word  of  God,  and  yet  denies  some  of  its  plainest  texts  : 
It  is  like  denying  the  advent  of  Christ,  or  his  crucifixion,  for 
his  resurrection  is  as  plainly  attested,  and  said  to  be  the  first 
fruits ;  and  will  the  Parkerite  never  learn  what  is  meant  by 
the  words  "Jirst  fjmits?^'' 

But  the  reader  should  be  informed  that  the  Parkerite  will 
not  admit  that  we  have  stated  his  creed,  merely  because  it  is 
expressed  in  words  different  from  those  he  uses,  although 
they  signify  precisely  the  same.  Their  doctrine  is  serpentine, 
and  it  has  serpentine  ways  and  outlets,  and  is  hard  to  hold 
even  when  caught. 

In  the  first  subject  we  expressed  our  views  of  the  oiHgin  of 
evil,  entirely  different  from  the  Parkerite  notion  of  it.  For 
instance,  we  believe  that  it  originated  from  created  good — 
good  which  was  created  finite  necessarily,  and  through  the 
imperfection  of  finitude  it  perverted  itself,  both  in  the  case 
of  Satan  and  man,  and  that  this  liability  to  a  perversion  of 
itself,  could  not  have  been  excluded  from  its  own  innate 
existence,  without  giving  it  the  perfection  of  Godhead  ;  and 
if  that  had  been  done  it  would  have  been  one  with  God,  and 
could  not  have  had  any  distinctive  existence  from  Him,  (i.  e.) 
that  infinite,  boundless,  impassible  good  cannot  be  multiplied 
into  duality,  neither  can  infinite  power  be  multiplied  into  two 
powers,  or  three  powers;  then  as  we  have  seen,  there  can  only 
be  One  Godhead,  and  all  other  creatures  must  of  course  be 
inferior,  imperfect,  and  finite  ;  through  which  inferiority,  im- 
perfection, and  finitude  evil  may  originate  as  we  have  shown, 
unless  prevented  by  the  grace  of  God,  which  cannot  pervert 
itself.    The  Lord  created  Satan  good,  but  inferior  to  Himself, 


MANICH.EO   PARKERITE  HERESY. 


he  through  a  liability  to  pride,  unrestrained  by  Divine  power, 
(2  Tim.  2,  10.)  perverted  that  good,  and  was  cursed  with  a 
change  of  state.  Man  was  likewise  created  good,  but  through 
a  liability  to  temptation,  existing  in  his  innate  state  perverted 
that  good,  alike  unrestrained  by  Divine  power,  but  otherwise 
guarded  by  his  Creator,  as  we  have  seen.  We  do  not  by  this 
exposition  of  things  make  God  the  author  of  evil,  or  of  sin, 
but  the  Creator  of  finite  good.  The  Parkerite  vagary  is.  that 
there  existed  from  everlasting  a  spirit  of  evil,  powerful,  and 
intelligent,  yet  under  the  complete  control  and  dominion  of 
God.  The  fallacy  of  this  may  be  seen  at  once  in  the  con- 
sideration, that  as  infinite,  boundless  light  would  necessarily 
exclude  darkness,  until  a  finite  light  was  set  up  in  another 
form,  then  through  its  imperfection,  or  limitation,  darkness 
might  ensue,  so  with  regard  to  infinite  boundless,  spiritual 
good, — it,  would  of  course  exclude  all  evil,  until  finite  good 
was  brought  into  existence  in  some  other  form,  say  natural 
for  instance,  then  through  its  imperfection  and  liability  to  per- 
version might  originate  evil,  but  in  no  other  w^ay. 

About  our  second  proposition,  there  is  also  a  great  difference 
between  us.  We  contend  that  all  the  human  fam.ily,  elect 
and  non  elect,  fell  in  Adam.  All  the  human  family  were 
thus  brought  into  one  common  ruin  before  God,  as  respects 
their  natural  innate  state:  the  elect  and  non-elect  were  thus 
brought  into  one  common  union  with  Satan,  (Luke  xi,  21:  viii, 
2.)  instead  of  the  notion  of  the  bodies  of  the  non-elect  being 
a  mere  miultiplication  afterwards  for  the  mere  lodgement  of 
Satanic  seed,  but  the  difi*erence  here  wiW  be  seen  still  plainer 
in  comparing  ourviews  on  the  union  of  God  andhis  people. 
We  will  therefore  pass  on  to  that  subject. 

In  expressing  our  tenet  of  the  eternal  union  between  God 
and  the  Church,  we  proved  that  this  expression  should  only  be 
used  in  a  qualified  sense,  as  we  then  pointed  out;  but  our  op- 
ponents use  it  in  its  most  unqualified  signification,  and  affirm 
that  the  souls  of  the  elect  existed  eternally  with  God,  and  w^ere 
infused  into  Adam   at  the  tim_e  of  his  formation,   and  have 


104 


A  REFUTATfON  OF  THE 


always  under  all  circumstances,  whether  "dead  in  trespasseg 
and  sins"  or  not,  whether  defiled  with  sin  or  not,  befoi^e  or  after 
the  new  birth,  have  been  in  actual  union  with  God!  Moreover: 
we  showed  that  all  the  human  famil}^  elect  and  non-elect, 
were  by  the  fall  involved  in  one  common  actual  union  with  Satan, 
and  that  union  only  began  actually  at  the  fall,  and  existed  on 
the  part  of  all  until  "born  again,'' as  we  fully  explained;  but 
they  say  that  there  is  a  different  union  between  Satan  and  the 
non-elect;  that  they  did  not  fall  in  Adam:  that  they,  contrary  to 
the  elect,  have  a  Satanic  seed  inborn,  with  which  Satan  has 
been  eternally  and  actually  united,  just  as  God  has  been  with 
thesoulsof  the  elect. 

Our  exposition  of  the  resurrection  brought  to  view  such  a 
palpable  did'erence  in  our  tenets,  that  it  will  be  useless  to  com- 
pare them  here.  Why,  brethren,  so  great  a  difference  be- 
tween us?  From  whence  came  Parkerism,  with  all  its  per- 
verting tendencies?  It  was  born  of  a  Persian  Magi,  reared 
in  the  nursery  of  Polytheism,  about  the  year  277  was 
brought  into  parasitical  union,  by  Manichaeus,  with  the  gospel; 
since  then  it  has  presented  itself,  in  many  new  and  chang- 
ing forms,  to  the  consideration  of  the  Christian  world;  of  late 
years  it  has  assumed  the  modification  and  name  of  Parkerism 
audit  is  so  adroitly  attired  in  Christian  apparel  as  to  deceive 
many  real  Christians,  who  are  now  bewitched  by  its  semi-pa- 
gan doctrines.  Set  up  as  it  is,  at  this  day,  it  invades  the  eter- 
nity of  God's  being,  and  then,  in  Pagan  blindness,  attempts 
to  set  up  an  eternal  self-existent  Spirit  of  Evil;  rejects  the 
great  truth  that  God  is  the  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things;  de- 
ifies the  souls  of  the  elect,  in  giving  them  an  eternal  exis- 
tence and  union  actually  with  God,  and  withholds  them  from, 
the  non-elect;  brings  Adam  up  out  of  the  earth  as  a  formation 
to  receive  those  souls  as  an  infusion  from  God,  as  a  portion 
of  divinity,  and  has  him  to  fall  in  such  a  way  as  to  exclude  the 
non-elect  from  a  participation  in  it,  then  multiplied  the  wo- 
man's conception  into  bodies  for  the  seed  of  Satan  to  dwell  in; 
then  at  death  annihilates  the  bodies  of  both  the  elect  and 


MANICrLf:0   PARKERITE  HERESY. 


m 


non-elect. — Nor  isthis  all;  it  goes  forth  with  a  hard  spirit  here; 
has,  of  course,  no  sympathy  or  concern  for  the  children  of 
the  devil;  hints  that  prayer  is  useless  in  our  pulpits,  or  else- 
where; dries  up  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word;  poisons  the 
strong  meats  of  the  gospel;  and  confusion,  contentions,  disun- 
ion and  chilling  winds  of  doctrine  follow  in  its  serpentine 
wake!  This  is  Parkerism,  when  stript  of  its  Pagan  patches, 
of  its  semi-christian  garments,  and  made  to  stand  forth  in  all 
its  naked  ugliness!  Will  youhaveit,  brethren,  notwithstand- 
ing all  this?  Will  you  say  we  have  misrepresented  it?  If  so, 
prove  it,  and  we  will  retract  any  thing  of  the  kind. 

Come  forward  with  all  your  tenets,  in  plainness  and  candor, 
and  we  will  review  them  according  to  your  own  showing.-. 
Recollect,  though,  that  we  do  not  throw  the  gauntlet  for  the 
sake  of  mere  disputation,  but  that  we  may  learn  and  under- 
stand each  other's  views  better.  It  is  the  hand  of  brotherhood 
that  we  put  forth — we  love  you  with  all  your  errors — these  we 
however  greatly  deplore.  "We  are  persuaded  better  things  of 
you,  and  things  that  accompany  salvation  though  we  thus 
speak."  And  if  you  are  so  entangled  in  the  meshes  of  Par- 
kerism that  you  cannot  escape  at  present,  we  ask  you  in  meek- 
ness and  love  to  forbear  trying  to  entangle  others  in  them. 
Let  us  seek  an  orthodox  unity  even  in  the  diversity 
of  sentiments  among  us;  by  not  going  beyond  the  bounds  of 
charitable  endurance  in  such  things;  which,  however,  can  be 
done  only  by  resuming  the  course,  which  we  pursued,  in  the 
formation  of  our  association.  We  were  then  willing  to  bear 
with  the  sparse  amount  of  Parkerism,  which'  then  showed  it- 
self, while  its  advocates  were  careful  to  keep  back  its  most 
objectionable  tenets;  but  since  then,  it  has  been  preached  even 
to  the  extent  of  a  full  denial  of  the  resurrection  of  our  natural 
bodies,  with  its  other  unscriptural  and  hurtful  doctrines;  in 
consequence  of  which  five  of  our  churches  have  passed  resolu- 
tions that  it  shall  not  be  preached  in  their  pulpits,  and  some  of 
its  advocates  have  been  kindly,  from  time  to  time,  entreated  to 
forbear   preaching  such  things.    Moreover,  an  association 


106  A    REFUTATION  OF  THE 

lately  constituted,  which  came  out  from  among  the  Parkerites, 
or  non-resurrectionists,  has  been  received  into  our  correspon- 
dence. Notwithstanding  all  this,  we  again  entreat  the  advo- 
cates of  Parkerism  to  desist  from  preaching  their  tenets;  yea, 
we  say  if  one  or  two  of  its  leading  advocates  would  desist,  our 
associational  union  might  be  preserved,  and  oh!  how  fearful 
is  the  responsibility,  which  now  rests  on  them.  We  believe 
that  the  union  of  this  association  was  of  God,  and  we  will  en- 
deavor by  all  proper  means,  to  maintain  it  according  to  the 
principles  on  which  our  union  was  formed.  Let  us  not  break 
asunder  the  bonds  of  brotherhood  which  seemed  so  strong  at 
the  time  of  the  formation  of  our  association;  and  let  not  the 
eayings  of  our  adversaries  be  verified  "that  in  days  of  peace 
we  know  not  how  to  abstain  from  internal  divisions." 

While  engaged  inactive  warfare  with  the  Missionaries  we 
were  careful  to  keep  our  contrariety  of  sentiments  within  the 
bounds  of  orthodox  unity,  and  that  course  only  can  now  save 
the  association;  even  if  one  or  two,  we  repeat,  were  to  come 
into  this  measure,  our  union  might  be  maintained.  Let  us 
learn  to  entertain  fellowship  for  each  other,  as  imperfect  crea- 
tures. Let  us  not  seek  perfection  on  earth;  and  while  we  try 
to  maintain  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace,  let  us 
recollect  the  great  variety  of  states  through  which  many 
Christians  pass  here  on  earth,  which  are  well  calculated  to 
produce  a  great  diversity  of  feelings,  and  even  of  views, 
which  occasionally  yield  to  charitable  treatment.  We  do  not 
mean  that  we  should  ever  compromise  the  truths  of  the  Bible, 
but  only  that  we  should  bear  with  those  whom  we  be- 
leive  to  be  Christians,  even  if  they  fall  into  some  errors. 


A  EEFUTATION 

OF  THE 

MANICHiEO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


SECOND  PART. 

Perversions  of  the  Gospel  were  subjects  of  prophecy,  and 
were  plainly  foretold  by  many  of  the  inspired  writers;  hence, 
they  exist  in  one  sense  of  necessity.  Christ  said,  "Offences 
must  needs  come;"  and  Paul,  "There  must  be  also  heresies 
among  you."  Another  foretold,  that,  "Even  among  your  own 
selves  shall  men  arise  speaking  perverse  things."  We  should 
not  be  surprised  at  the  prevalence  of  such  things  among  us, 
seeing  that  they  have  been  so  plainly  foretold.  Mystical  Bab- 
ylon was  foreknown  of  God,  its  rise,  dominion  and  downfall 
were  revealed  to  his  servants,  and  by  them  written  out  for 
our  instruction.  Thus,  the  great  outlines  of  the  Max  of  Sin 
have  been  plainly  revealed,  showing  that  all  his  vitality 
and  consequence  would  be  derived  from  perversions  of  the 
scriptures — the  very  material  out  of  which  mystic  Babylon 
has  been  built,  and  without  which  it  would  have  been  a  nulli- 
ty. The  abominations  of  Romanism  could  not  have  obtained, 
nor  Protestant  errors  existed,  without  them!  Nor  does  the 
negation  stop  here,  it  would  have  excluded  those  w^ars,  cru- 
sades, revolutions,  and  persecutions,  which  have,  from  time 
to  time,  produced  such  an  incalculable  amount  of  evil!  Could 
we  only  see  Heaven's  registry  of  national  and  personal  crimes 
committed  in  this  way,  we  should  be  ovewhelmed  by  the  vis- 
ion!   All  the  evils,  w^hich  have  convulsed  and  shook  the  world, 


108  .  A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 

at  different  times,  emanated,  Irom  perversions  of  Divine  Truth. 
Have  I  perverted  any  text  of  Holy  Scripture,  and  in  that  way 
opened  a  fountain  tributary  to  the  great  time  stream  of  error? 
Let  me  search  it  out  and  repent  of  it,  and  seal  it  up  forever 
with  a  hearty  recantation.  Who  of  us  are  thus  feeding  and 
sustaining  the  Man  of  Sin,  aiding  in  building  Babylon,  or  sin- 
ning in  propagating  Protestant  heresies,  or  Old  Baptist  ultra- 
isms.  We  can  readily  see  the  absurdities  of  Romanism,  the 
errors  of  many  Protestant  sects,  and  avoid  them,  but  we  do 
not  recognize,  as  heresies,  those  hurtful  ultraisms  which  are 
eating,  as  doth  a  canker^  upon  our  very  vitals  as  a  denomina- 
tion-— a  denomination  which  very  justly  boasts  of  its  antiqui- 
ty, and  of  having  never  acknowledged  any  other  rule  of  faith 
and  practice  than  that  of  the  Bible.  But  some  of  our  Breth-  ■ 
ren  are  interpreting  many  of  its  blessed  truths  in  such  away 
as  to  lead  off  their  hearers  from  the  Old  Baptist  platform  of 
principles.  Some  of  them  have  pursured  thatperverse  thing, 
Parkerism,  with  such  obstinacy  of  opinion,  and  such  perver- 
sions of  the  Scriptures,  that  we  have  been  compelled  to  with- 
draw reluctantly  from  them.  I  will  now  show,  most  conclu- 
sively, that  Parkerite  ultraisms  have  changed  some  of  the 
Old  Order  of  Baptists  into  a  new  sect.  Facts  must  speak 
here.  I  will  contrast  a  tenet  of  the  Particular  Baptist  Church 
of  London,  about  1720,  with  one  of  a  Baptist  Church  lately 
constituted,  on  a  tenet  of  Parkerism: 

declaration  of  the  Faith  and  Practice  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
at  Rorsleydown^  under  the  Pastoral  Care  of  Mr.  John  Gilly  <^c." 

'  Fifth  Article. — "We  believe  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  be- 
ing set  up  from  everlasting  as  the  Mediator  of  the  new  cove- 
nant, and  he  having  engaged  to  be  the  surety  of  his  people, 
did;  in  the  fulness  of  time,  really  assume  human  nature,  and 
not  before,  neither  in  whole  nor  in  part;  his  human  soul  being 
a  creature  existed  not  from  eternity,  but  was  created  and  form- 
ed in  his  body  by  him  that  forms  the  spirit  of  man  within  him, 
when  that  was  conceived  in  the  womb  of  the  virgin;  and  so 
his  human  nature  consists  of  a  true  body  and  a  reasonable 


■  MANICH/EO   PAKEEIE  HERESY. 

soul,  botli  of  which,  together,  and  at  once,  the  Son  of  God 
assumed  into  union  with  his  Divine  Person,  when  made  of  a 
woman,  and  not  before;  in  which  nature  he  really  suffered 
and  died  as  their  substitute,  in  their  room  and  stead,  whereby 
he  made  all  that  satisfaction  for  their  sins  which  the  law  and 
justice  of  God  could  require,  as  well  as  made  way  for  all  those 
blessings  which  are  needful  for  them  both  for  time  and  eterni- 

ty-" 

Now,  observe  the  following  article  of  faith,  which  has  been 
taken  from  a  Baptist  paper  published  at  Weston  Mo.,  as  a 
part  of  the  abstract  of  principles  of  a  church  which  had  just 
been  constituted.  ^ 

"We  believe  the  serpent  has  a  seed  also,  and  they  are  of 
their  father,  the  Devil,  whose  work  they  will  do.  We  be-, 
lieve  both  of  these  seeds  to  be  spiritual,  and  have  a  spiritual 
existence  in  their*  respective  fathers  before  they  are  manifes- 
ted or  developed  in  the  flesh  or  in  the  world." 

What  a  difference  betwen  the  two  articles  of  faith.  How 
could  the  difference  be  greater?  And  yet,  strange  to  state, 
these  Parkerites  say,  continually,  and  unblushingly,  that  they 
have  not  perverted  the  doctrine  of  the  Old  Baptists,  but  that  we, 
their  opposers,  have  done  so!  Moreover,  I  would  ask  the 
Parkerite  to  show  any  article  of  faith,  on  which  any  Old  Bap- 
tist Church  was  ever  constituted  before,  like  that  I  have  just 
quoted.  Old  Baptist  history  furnishes  nothing  of  the  kind; 
hence,  it  must  of  course  be  new — new,  at  least,  among  the 
Old  Order  of  Baptists.  It  can  be  traced  back,  among  them,  to 
the  times  of  Elder  Daniel  Parker,  and  no  further!  The  heresy 
has,  however,  been  in  existence  ever  since  the  days  of  Manc- 
ichseus,  in  some  form  or  other,  but  the  Baptists,  so  far  as  I 
can  learn,  have  pretty  generally  escaped  it.  I  see  that  the 
Waldenses,  about  the  i2th  or  13th  century,  were  eharged,  by 
their  adversaries,  the  Ptoman  Catholics,  with  holding  this 
doctrine,  which,  however,  was  denied  by  them.  This  false, 
charge  out  of  fourteen  others,  which  had  been  perferred  against 
them,  ran  thus  :  "That  with  the  Manichees,  the  Waldenses 


110 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


believed  in  two  principles,  one  the  Good  God,  the  Creator  of 
Good,  and  one  Evil,  which  is  the  Devil,  the  Creator  of  Evil." 
To  which  they  replied  as  follows  :  "We  believe  that  the  Holy 
Trinity  created  all  things,  both  visible  and  invisible,  and  that 
He  is  Lord  of  all  things  in  heaven,  earth,  and  hell:  as  it  is 
said  by  John,  All  things  were  made  hy  Him,  and  without  Him  was 
nothing  madeP 

Let  us  now  examine  those  texts  of  Scripture  which 
are  constantly  perverted  among  us.  The  First  is  as  follows: 
^'And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  be- 
tween thy  seed  and  her  seed:  It  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel."  Gen.iii,15.  The  perversions  of  this  text, 
formerly  by  El.  D.  Parker,  and  lately  by  others,  have  prevailed 
among  the  Old  Bap dsts  to  a  fearful  and  an  alarming  extent,  and 
have  engendered  much  strife,  debate  and  division.  Parkerites 
needs  must  dispute.  Their  subject  is  one  of  more  than  doubtful 
disputation.  It  is  continually  changing  its  phases  according  to 
the  fancy  of  its  different  advocates :  it  lies  so  far  beyond  the  lights 
of  revelation  and  reason,  that  their  fancies  are  ever  active  in 
forming  strange,  visionary  notions,  which  it  would  be  f-ven 
absurd  to  oppose,  were  they  not  entertained  by  so  many  of 
our  Brethren!  Besides,  no  modern  heresy  has  ever  come 
among  us  with  such  a  hard  and  selfish  spirit;  for  it  cares  neith- 
er for  the  general  peace  of  Zion,  the  Union  oi  Associations 
nor  the  Order  of  Old  Baptist  Churches  ! 

The  profound  spiritual  import  of  the  text  under  considera- 
tion, was  mysteriously  veiled  by  the  litei^al  circumstances 
which  attended  its  enunciation  ;  these  however,  should  be 
studied  very  carefully,  and  then  their  mystic  signfication  may 
be  more  fully  and  safely  deduced  from  them.  The  part  of 
the  text,  "I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman," 
implies,  as  one  has  well  said,  the  fact,  "that  there  was  no 
enmity  before  betwen  them."  This  will  assist  in  illustrat- 
ing the  subject — showing  that  the  Lord  spake  to  a  natural 
serpent  as  well  as  to  a  mystic  one,  the  devil ;  between  the 
natural  serpent  and  the  woman  there  had  been  no  enmity 


MANICH^O    PARKERITE  HERESY. 


Ill 


before,  but  there  was  certainly  enmity  previously  between 
Satan  and  the  woman  ;  at  least  on  his  part.  The  words, 
"Thou  art  cursed  above  all  cattle,  and  above  every  beast  of  the 
field  ;  upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat 
all  the  days  of  thy  life,"  relate  literally  to  a  literal  serpent, 
and  to  the  devil  only  figuratively  or  mystically.  Then  there 
was  a  real  natural  enmity  put  by  the  Lord  between  a  natural 
woman  and  a  natural  serpent ;  all  of  which,  I  admit,  is  how- 
ever, highly  figurative,  and  points  to  spiritual  things,  which 
will  require  both  time  and  eternity  for  their  exposition ! 
This  enmity  was  also,  according  to  the  words  of  the  Lord, 
to  extend  to  their  seed ;  there  was  to  be,  as  every  body 
knows,  an  enmity  between  all  human  beings  and  serpents; 
but  no  mystic  enmity  mutually  between  human  beings  and 
Satan,  until  the  Lord  put  it  there,  in  a  way  I  will  presently 
show. 

But,  says  the  Parkerite,  God  said  that  the  serpent  had  a 
seed.  Very  true,  indeed,  I  admit,  or  there  would  have  been 
no  snakes !  the  exemplars  of  Hypocrites,  Sadducees,  Phari- 
sees and  Reprobates — the  figurative  or  mystic  seed  of  the 
mystic  serpent— termed  in  the  Scriptures  ?i  generation  of  vipers^ 
children  of  the  devil,  Sfc.  The  mystic  seed  of  the  woman, 
which  was  to  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent,  the  devil,  was 
surely  Christ,  (Gal.  iii,  16,)  as  is  admitted  by  all  orthodox 
commentators.  The  very  seed  in  which  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  were  to  be  blessed:  Gen.  xxii,  18,  Ac.  25,  26.  The 
head  of  the  natural  serpent  may  be  easily  bruised  by  any 
one — by  the  natural  seed  of  the  woman  ;  but  who,  as  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  besides  Christ,  is  able  to  bruise  the  head 
of  the  old  serpent,  the  devil?  How  can  enmity  obtain  be- 
tween the  seed  of  the  woman  and  Satan  unless  it  be  through 
Christ,  the  promised  seed,  since  Adam  and  Eve  were  by  their 
fall  reduced  to  a  state  so  congenial  to  that  of  Satan's  ?  So 
much  so,  that  their  off*spring  were  called  figuratively,  by  the 
Lord,  children  of  the  devil — doing  his  lusts.  I  would  ask^ 
again,  where  do  we  read  in  the  Word  of  God  of  enmity  be- 


112 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


tvveen  the  devil  and  unrenewed  humanity?  Even  with  the 
greatest  religious  pretenders,  he  maintains  fellowship  and 
agreement  by  transformation,  accommodating  himself,  at  all 
times,  to  their  delusions.  But,  let  one  of  Adam's  fallen  sons 
or  daughters  be  born  again  of  Christ,  The  Quickening  Spirit, 
and  then  a  warfare  begins  immediately  between  that  soul  and 
the  devil ; — then  enmity  \^  ^^puV  between  them!  And  yet  it 
may  be  urged,  that  the  Lord  said  he  would  put  enmity  also 
•between  Satan  and  the  woman  as  well  as  her  seed ; — very 
true ;  and  in  that  declaration  we  see,  dimly  and  distantly, 
yet  hopefully,  the  new  birth  of  our  mother  Eve.  Enmity 
between  Eve  and  Satfin,  a  ftet^  her  fall,  must  have  been  of  grace 
- — of  a  great  inward  change — the  fruit  of  spiritual  blessings. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  this  exposition  of  the  text  is 
very  different  from  Parkerite  perversions  of  it :  They  say  that 
the  seed  of  the  woman  consist  of  two  great  families ;  that 
God  is  the  seminal  head  of  one,  and  the  devil  the  seminal 
head  of  the  other;  that  the  two  seeds  are  distinct  in  se  before 
regeneration — as  soon  as  they  are  "manifested  or  developed 
i  in  the  flesh,  or  in  the  world,"  to  use  their  own  language. 
Observe  :  a  child  of  God,  according  to  this  strange  fancy,  is 
"manifested  in  the  flesh,  or  in  the  world,"  from  God,  as  its 
eternal  seminal  head,  or  Father!  and  a  child  of  the  devil  is 
"manifested  or  developed  in  the  flesh  or  in  the  world,"  from  the 
devil,  as  its  eternal  seminal  head,  or  father  ! 

Let  it  be  further  observed,  that  if  God  and  the  Devil  have 
a  distinct  seed,  so  different  and  so  opposite  to  each  other  in 
their  spiritual  selves,  the  enmity,  mentioned  in  the  text,  would 
not  be  ths  putting  of  the  Lord,  but  a  consequence  of  two 
natures  opposed  to  each  other,  as  soon  as  they  are  "develop- 
ed in  the  flesh,"  this  can  not  be  the  case,  and  there  is  no  enmity 
between  Satan  and  unregenerate  persons,  until  tlie  Lord  by, 
his  Spirit's  power,  put  it  there ;  whence,  we  know,  from 
observation,  as  well  as  from  Christian  experience,  that  this 
interpretation  of  the  text  is  palpably  heretical !  In  order, 
however,  to  avoid  this  dilemma,  they  involve  themselves  in 


MANICH^O  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


lis 


one  equally  as  great;  that  this  spiritual  seed,  put  forth  in 
Adam  by  the  Lord,  were  corrupted  in  his  fall,  and  reduced  to 
a  state  of  sin  and  death,  so  congenial  to  the  state  of  the  seed 
of  the  devil — which,  according  to  their  dogma,  have  also  been 
infused  into  reprobates — that  enmity  cannot  exist  between 
them  until  they,  the  children  of  God,  are  made  alive  by  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

The  Parkerite  generally  quotes,  also,  the  following  text  in 
support  of  his  two  seed  systems,  which  now  requires  some 
consideration:  "Ye  are  of  your  father,  the  devil,  and  the  lusts 
of  your  father  ye  will  do."    This  is  a  highly  figurative  ex- 
pression, similar  to  Christ's,  addressed  to  Peter:    "Get  thee 
behind  me,  Satan,"  and  to  the  words  of  the  Prophet:  "Say- 
ing to  a  stock,  thou  art  my  father;  and  to  a  stone,  thou  hast 
brought  me  forth.    Deny  the  figurative  mode  of  expression 
here,  and  the  meaning  would  be  that  Peter  was  Satan;  that 
the  stock  was  the  real  father  of  the  idolater;  and  that  a  stone^ 
had  actually  brought  forth  a  child.    Thus  we  see  what  absur- 
dities are  involved  by  interpreting  these  texts  literally,  and 
not  figuratively;  and  the  same  apply,  with  equal  force  and 
propriety  to  the  text  now  being  discussed;  for  then  Sataa 
would  be  a  real  spiritual  father,  and  the  persons  addressed  by 
Christ  would  have  been  actual  children  of  the  devil,  according, 
to  the  representation  of  the  Missouri  Parkerite,  as  before 
quoted;  to  whom,  even  in  this  latter  day,  the  Prophet  Malachi 
seems  to  address  the  following  well  adapted  questions:  Have 
we  not  ail  one  father?  hath  not  one  God  created  us?  We 
should  not  fail  to  observe,  that  the  Prophet  here  calls  God  our 
Father,  because  he  is  our  Creator,  and  not  a  seminal  head. 
But  Satan  was  not  the  Father  of  those  addressed  by  Christ, 
even  in  that  sense,  for  he  was  not  their  Creator;  nor  was  he 
their  Father,  by  having  infused  into  them  a  part  of  his  sub- 
stance, or  a  seed  from  himself    Hypocrites,  Pharisees  and 
Idolists  are  children  of  the  devil  in  a  figurative  and  not  in  an* 
actual  sense;  for  to  be  children  of  the  devil,  in  the  latter 
sense,  would  constitute  very  different  persons  from  those 
8 


114  *      A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 

mentioned  in  the  Scriptures;  they  could  not.  as  such,  part 
with  their  Satanic  seed,  their  very  nature,  as  did  those  men- 
tioned in  the  Scriptures;  for  the  unclean  spirit  went  from  them 
and  cajne  back  again.  Mat.  xii,  43.  Their  very  nature,  or 
part  of  themselves,  could  not  have  went  and  come  in  this  way; 
hence,  we  know  that  they  were  not  children  of  the  devil  con- 
naturally,  but  by  being  possessed  by  devils^ — by  their  influence 
over  such — by  being  led  captive  by  them — by  doing  their 
lusts.  But  devils  were  cast  out,  and  some  of  the  Lord's  peo- 
ple were  possessed  by  them  to  as  great  an  extent  as  others, 
and  were  before  their  conversion  as  much  under  Satanic  in- 
fluence, as  any  of  the  non-elect  wxre,  and  might  have  been 
.called  children  of  the  devil,  figuratively,  with  as  much  pro- 
priety. The  account  we  have  of  Judas  is  in  strict  conformity 
with  this.  It  is  not  said  of  him,  that  he  did  his  great  act  of 
wickedness  on  account  of  the  workings,  or  actings,  of  a  Satanic 
nature,  derived  from  a  connate  Satanic  seed,  but  that  it  was 
done  shortly  after  Satan  entered  into  him.  John  xiii,  27.  Mat. 
viii,  28:  Lu.  viii,  2. 

1  will  ROW  bring  under  consideration  another  text,  some- 
times quoted  by  the  Parkerite  in  proof  of  his  system:  "But 
w^hen  he  saw  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  come  to 
his  baptism,  he  said  unto  them,  O  generation  of  vipers,  who 
hath  warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?"  John 
called  them  a  generation  of  vipers  on  account  of  their  errors, 
delusion  and  presumption ;  for  they  had  been  so  blinded  by 
Satan,  as  to  suppose  that  because  they  could  say,  they  had 
Abraham  for  their  father,  they  were  entitled  to  his  baptism. 
Christ  called  them  a  generation  of  vipers  on  account  of  their 
wicked  works.  But,  not  to  be  tedious,  and  to  come  to  the  turn- 
ing point  at  once,  let  the  reader  notice  the  next  verse  to  this 
text,  which  is  as  follows:  "Bring forth,  therefore,  fruits  meet 
for  repentance,"  by  which  we  are  informed  that  John  exhorted 
this  generation  of  vipers  to  repent — to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of 
repentance;  and  had  he  regarded  them,  as  Parkerites  do,  the 
real  children  of  the  devil,  he  would  not  have  exhorted  them 


MANICH^O   PARKERITE  HERESY. 

to  repent;  for  they  believe  such  are  not  subjects  of  Gospel 
address;  at  least,  not  in  the  particular  way  in  which  John 
addressed  these. 

"Because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his 
Son  into  your  hearts  crying,  Abba,  Father,"  Gal.  iv.  6. 

The  Parkerite  exults  greatly  in  this  text,  and  pretends  to 
see  a  confirmation  of  all  his  fancies  in  it !  He  says  that  God 
sent  forth  his  Spirit  into  their  hearts  because  they  were 
actually  sons  always — spiritual  ones,  of  course,  if  actual 
ones;  and  yet  the  spirit  finds  them,  as  the  actual  sons  of  God, 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  and  without  the  Spirit  of  God! 
How  can  this  be What  an  absurdity  is  involved  by  such  a 
view  of  the  text !  The  plain  meaning  of  the  text  is,  that 
because  ye  are  chosen  unto  salvation,  from  the  beginning, 
God  hath  sent  forth  his  Spirit  into  your  hearts ;  or,  because 
ye  are  the  elect  of  God — because  ye  are  predestined  to  be 
conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son,  God  hath  sent  forth  his 
Spirit  into  your  hearts  to  perform  that  work — because  we  are 
predestinated  to  the  adoption  of  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth  the 
Spirit  of  adoption  into  our  hearts,  whereby  we  cry  Abba, 
Father — having  received  the  adoption  of  sons.  •  ■  ^  •  ■  ^ 

Particular  attention  should  be  here  given  to  the  fact,  that 
there  is  just  as  much  propriety  in  saying  that  we  were  actual- 
ly and  eternally  conformed  to  the  image  of  Christ,  because 
we  were  predestinated  to  that  blessing,  as  to  say  that  we  were 
actually  and  eternally  sons,  because  we  were  predestinated  to 
the  adoption  of  sons — to  a  spiritual  adoptive  sonship  in 
Christ;  for  the  elect  of  God  were  predestinated  to  both  blessings 
precisely  alike,  and  before  regeneration  were  in  themselves 
alike  destitute  of  both. 

The  Apostle  Paul  gives  a  very  good  reason  why  the  Lord 
sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  the  hearts  of  the  Galatian 
Christians— "Because  they  were  sons — adopted  sons — pre- 
destinated to  the  adoption  of  Sons ;  and  when  they  received  the 
spirit  of  adoption,  along  with  the  blessings  of  adoption,  well 
might  they  cry,  Abba,  Father,  being  ihcii  actually  his  spiiitual 


116 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


adoptives ;  but,  before  this,  all  lay  concealed,  though  sure,  in 
the  foreknowledge,  purpose,  predestination  and  election  of 
God  :    In  that  foreknowledge  which  beheld  things  which  were 
not  as  though  they  w^ere — in  that  purpose  which  nothing  can 
disannul — in  that  predestination  which  is  of  certain  accom- 
plishment— and  in  that  election  which  brings  the  blessings  of 
adoption  to  each  elect  son,  as  embraced  personally,  uncon- 
ditionally aud  eternally  in  the  foreknowlege,  love,  mercy  and 
grace  of  God,  before  they  had  any  actual  existence,  f/i  5^/ 
God's  foreknowledge  of  them,  with  a  purpose  to  create  them 
at  his  own  set  time,  did  not  give  them  an  actual  natural 
existence  in  themselves ;  nor  did  his  foreknowledge  of  them, 
as  his  elect,  chosen  in  Christ  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  with  a  purpose  to  give  them  spiritual  sonship  in  Christ, 
make  them  actual  spiritual  sons  in  themselves,  before  the 
blessings  of  adoptive  sonship  were  bestowed.    They  were 
only  regarded  as  such  in  the  foreknowledge  and  purpose  of 
God,  and  because  they  were  regarded  as  sons  in  that  respect, 
God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  their  hearts,  to 
change  them  into  actual  adoptive  sons.    The  Holy  Spirit  has 
identified  himself  so  completely  with  the  great  doctrine  of 
adoption,  that,  in  this  great  work  of  regeneration,  he  has  call- 
ed Himself,  through  the  Apostle  Paul,  The  Spirit  of  Adop- 
tion.   How  strange,  then,  would  it  appear,  that  any  of  the 
Old  Baptists  should  treat  the  subject  of  divine  adoption  with 
so  much  indifference,  were  it  not  for  the  fact,  that  the  subject 
is  ignored  by  them  in  order  to  maintain  their  ultraism  of  eter- 
nal actual  sonship ! 

Parkerites  are  frequently  heard  to  say,  *'that  nothing  will 
ever  go  to  heaven  but  what  came  from  there  !"  and,  to  prove 
the  assertion,  quote  this  text:  "He  that  descended  is  the 
same  also  that  ascended."  Eph.  iv,  10.  They  mean,  that  as 
the  same  person  ascended  who  had  descended,  and  as  that 
person  was  Christ,  his  glorified  human  body  was  not  taken  up 
into  heaven ;  thereby  hinting  darkly  at  the  non-resurrection 
of  our  bodies — a  heretical  tenet  which  has  been  embraced  by 
many  of  them ! 


MAKICILEO  P.^RKERITE    HERESY.  4^ 

When  Christ  partook  of  flesh  and  blood.,  his  personality 
continued  the  same.  He  was  the  same  person  afterwards  that 
he  was  before.  His  human  nature,  or  manhood,  did  not  con- 
stitute him  one  person,  and  his  divine  nature,  or  Godhead, 
another  person ;  but  the  two  natures  were  united  in  such  a 
way  as  to  constitute  only  one  person — The  G^o^^-Man — main- 
taining, however,  their  distinctiveness  of  nature.  Hence,  as 
there  was  no  change  of  personality,  it  might  well  be  said  that 
the  same  person  ascended  who  descended  ;  nor  can  any  proof 
of  the  non -ascension  of  Christ's  body  be  deduced  from  it. 

For  further  and  complete  refutation  of  such  a  notion,  I  will 
quote  the  following  texts  of  scripture : 

"This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  come  in  like 
manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven,"  Ac.  i.  9. 

"And  the  graves  were  opened;  and  many  bodies  of  saints  which  slept  arose,  and 
came  out  of  the  graves  after  his  resurrection,  and  went  into  the  holy  city  and  ap- 
peared unto  many,"  Mat.  sxvii.  52,  53. 

"Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  Tvhich  all  that  are  in  the  graves 
shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth  ;  they  that  liave  done  good  unto  the  resur- 
rection of  life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 
John  V,  2S,  29. 

They  have  likewise  pressed  the  following  text  into  their 
service:  '-Who  is  the  figure  of  him  that  svas  to  come."  Rom. 
V,  14.  The  principal  error  predicated  thereof  is  this:  'That 
as  Adam  was  the  seminal  head  of  his  posterity,  they  had  an 
actual  seminal  existence  in  and  union  to  him ;  and  as  he  was 
a  figure  of  him  that  was  to  come,  Christ  is  consequently  the 
spiritual  head  of  his  people,  and  they  must  consequently  have 
an  eternal,  actual,  spiritual  existence  in,  and  union  with  him.' 
Thus  they  make  out  their  tenet  of  the  actual,  eternal  union  of 
Christ  and  his  seed. 

All  the  propositions  of  Parkerism  are  easily  reduced  to 
absurdities  :  hence,  if  the  figure  be  carried  out  in  that 
way,  what  will  be  the  legitimate  consequences?  All  who  are 
born  of  Adam  partake,  by  virtue  of  their  seminal  existence 
in,  and  union  with  him,  of  his  nature,  his  manhood — yea,  of 
the  fullness  of  his  humanity;  this  is  undeniable.  Then,  to 
carry  out  the  figure,  all  who  are  born  of  Christ,  or  God,  (it  is 


118 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


mmalerial  \vhich)~(John  v,  21 ,)  must,  by  tlieir  spiritual  ex- 
stence  in,  and  union  with  God,  be  born  Gods,  just  as  fully  as 
Adam's  Children  are  born  human  beings,  and  must  partal^e 
of  the  fullness  of  his  divinity  and  God-head,  just  as  they  have 
partaken  of  the  fullness  of  humanity  and  manhood  ! 

How  very  different  from  all  this  is  the  teaching  of  the  Bible? 
Paul  says  that  we  were  blessed  ''with  all  spiritual  blessings 
in  heavenly  places  in  Christ."  Eph.  i,  3.  These  blessings 
were  designed  to  constitute  us  saints,  not  Gods  !— The  same 
apostle  says,  that  Christ  who  of  God,  "is  made  unto  T^5  wisdom, 
and  righteousness,  and  sanctifica^tion,  and  redemption."  1 
Cor.  1,80.  Here  the  blessings  are  enumerated.  Who  re- 
ceived these  blessings?  Who  were  the  "us"  unto  whom 
Christ  had  been  made  all  this?  Surely,  unto  poor,  sinful, 
ruined  elect  Adamites— unto  blind,  foohsh,  idolatrous  Cor- 
inthians ;  and  surely  not  unto  a  living  spiritual  seed  in  Him- 
self as  such,  for  then  the  term  "us"  would  have  been  inappli- 
cable. It  is  true  that  the  apostle  says  :  "But  of  him  are  ye  in 
Christ  Jesus."  And  I  ask  how  were  the  Corinthian  Christians 
in  Christ  Jesus  ?  Certainly  not  as  spiritual  seed,  which  had 
been  in  actual  union  with  Himself,  and  a  part  of  Himself,  as 
such,  for  then  they  would  not  have  needed  these  blessings  !  for 
such  a  seed  could  not  have  been  corrupted;  they  would  have 
had,  in  their  spiritual  selves,  divine  attributes,  which  would 
have  superceded,  forever,  those  blessings,  without  which  the 
poor  Corinthian  Christians  must  have  perished.  They  need- 
ed them — they  lacked  wisdom — were  destitute  of  righteousness 
their  state  of  sin  and  death  called  for  a  sanctification  of  the 
spirit — and  as  poor  bankrupt  captives,. nothing  but  redemption 
by  another  would  suffice.  Let  us  turn  to  the  words  of  Christ 
on  this  vital  subject;  they  are  as  follows:  "Jesus  answered 
and  said  unto  him,  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man 
be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  Kingdom  of  God  "  John  iii, 
3.  Observe,  the  Saviour  said  a  man,  a  human  being,  an 
Adamite,  is  the  subject  of  another  birth ;  a  man,  who  was 
born  of  an  earthly  parent,  must  be  born  of  the  Spirit — called 
by  Peter  an  incorruptible  seed. 


MAXrCH.EO   PARKERITE  HERESY. 


We  should  rxote  the  qualifying  adverb  again  in  the  declara- 
tion of  the  Saviour,  that  a  man  must  be  born  again  before  he 
can  see  the  Kingdom  of  God.  We  shall  then  learn  that  hu- 
man beings  are  born  again — those  who  have  alread}^  derived, 
by  a  natural  birth,  personal  existence  from  Adam,  in  such  a 
manner  that  each  one  has  become  a  distinct  person — an  I,  a 
Me,  One's  Self.  The  very  I,  Oxe's  Own  Self,  must,  says 
Christ,  be  born  of  the  Spirit.  How?  In  consequence  of  an  actual 
eternal  existence  in,  and  union  w^ith,  the  Spirit?  No,  verily, 
for  that  would  be  downright  Manichaeanism.  The  I,  Me,  or 
One's  Self,  is  brought  into  an  actual  union  with  Christ,  through 
the  quickening,  sanctifying  and  iransforming  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  thus  this  actual  union  has  a  beginning  with  the  crea- 
ture, and  becomes  one  of  life;  the  soul  that  is  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins  is  quickened  into  spiritual  life;  "and  I  give  unto 
them  eternal  life,"  says  Christ.  Thus,  they  receive  through 
Christ,  The  Quickening  Spirit,  that  which  they  did  not  have  ac- 
tualhj  in  themselves  before,  and  through  Xhis^  life,  quickening, sanc- 
tijication,  or  birth  of  the  Spirit,  they  become  actually,  vitally  and 
indissolubly  united  to  Christ  as  their  Great  Federal  Head,  and 
grow  up  into  Him,  not  by  means  of  partaking  of  his  incomm.u- 
nicabie  Essence  and  Existence,  but  by  receiving  those  spiritu- 
al blessings,  wherewith  they  were  blessed  in  him  before  the 
world  began,  as  their  Representative,  Surety,  or  Trustee,  ac-' 
cording  to  God's  foreknowledge  of  them,  as  He  purposed  to- 
create  them  in  Adam;  and  according  also  to  His  purpose  to 
save  them  in  him,  after  their  creation  and  fall  in  Adam., 
Hence,  to  be  horn  again  does  not  imply  a  previous,  actual 
eternal  ex:istence  in,  and  union  to,  the  Spirit.  Both  soul  and  body 
are  to  be  changed  by  Christ  as  "The  Power  of  God,''  or  by 
Christ  as  "The  Quickening  Spirit,"  or  by  Christ  as  '-'The  Ever- 
lasting Father."  Paul  says,  we  are  changed  into  the  same  im.- 
age  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  And 
our  vile  bodies  are  to  be  changed,  quickened  and  fashioned 
like  unto  the  glorious  body  of  Christ — are  to  be  horn  again,  if' 
I  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  in  the  morning  of  the  res- 
urrection.   And  who  will  affirm  that  this  change,  this  quicken- 


120 


A  REFUTATION   OF  THE 


ing,  this  fashioning  of  our  bodies,  after  Christ's  glorified  body, 
implies  their  previous,  actual,  eternal  existence  in,  and  union 
with,  God ;  and  yet,  of  which  it  mi^ht  be  affirmed  with  as 
much  propriety  as  of  our  souls,  according  to  their  absurbities. 

To  hebo7m  again,  then,  implies  a  spiritual  change  so  great, 
that  the  I,  the  Me,  or  One's  Self,  becomes  "a  new  creature,'' 
"a  new  man,"  the  "workmanship"  of  God,  and  grows  up  into 
Christ  as  his  Head,  "Who  of  God  is  made  unto"  all  such  "wis- 
dom, righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption"-The  Way, 
the  Truth,  and  the  Life.  Paul  in  heaven,  with  his  crown  of 
of  glory,  robe  ot  righteousness,  palm  of  victory,  and  glorifi- 
cation of  both  soul  and  body,  will  be  the  same  Paul,  in  the  I 
or  Me,  whose  soul  was  once  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins, 
and  whose  body  was  one  of  sin  and  death.  So,  the  creature 
is  born  of  the  Power  of  God,  of  the  Quickening  Power  of  the 
Spirit,  of  a  Sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  of  Christ  as  the 
Quickening  Spirit — all  signif3-ing  the  transforming  power  of 
*Kjod,  or  the  creative  fiat  of  Deity.  The  Spiritual  fruit  of  this 
birth  accords  well  with  this  exposition  ;  for  saints  are  said  to 
be  quickened — endowed  with  spiritual  life  by  the  Lord — to 
believe  according  to  his  power — also  through  a  sanctifica- 
tion of  the  Spirit — and  to  be  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works.  Peter  says,  replies  the  Objector,  that  they  are 
born  of  an  incorruptible  seed,  which  is  true,  but  Christ  and 
Peter  must  agree  with  each  other,  and  He  says  that  they 
"must  be  born  of  the  Spirit,"  and  John  affirms  that  they  are 
born  of  God,  and  elsev/here,  that  their  seed  remain  in  them, 
and  we  ask  what  is  it  that  dwells  in  the  saints,  that  cannot  be 
corrupted,  but  a  state  or  principle  wrought  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  His  work  cannot  be  corrupted,  for  that  which  is 
born  of  the  spirit  is  spirit — is  spiritual;  hence,  we  have,  as 
the  fruit  of  the  spirit,  an  actual,  living  union  with  Christ,  love 
to  God,  joy  and  peaco  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  faith,  and  a 
living  union  with  Him.  Besides,  the  Spirit  takes  the  things 
of  Christ  and  reveals  them  to  believers,  and  they  thus  receive 
of  his  fullness,  grace  for  grace-yea,  Christ  Himself  is  revealed  in 


MANICHiEO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


the  soul,  the  hope  of  glory  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  Peter's 
incorruptible  seed. 

All  the  foregoing,  it  must  be  admitted,  is  very  different  from 
a  natural  birth;  and,  hence,  implies  a' very  different  kind  of 
union  between  Christ  and  his  people  from  that  between 
Adam  and  his  posterity.  It  is  true,  that  saints  call  God 
Father,  but  in  what  sense?  Paul  says,  through  the  Spirit  of 
Adoption,  and  not  according  to  an  actual  and  everlasting  son- 
ship,  as  does  Christ.  Saints  cannot,  like  Christ,  as  sons, 
claim  equality  with  the  Father,  and  an  equal  glory  with  Him, 
before  the  world  began,  as  I  have  shown  they  might  do,  accor- 
ding to  the  Manichaean  theory.  They  would,  in  that  sense, 
have  the  glory  of  an  actual,  eternal  existence  in,  and  union 
with,  God;  which  in  strict  conformit}*  to  the  figure  of  a  natu- 
ral birth,  might,  through  spiritual  developments,  attain  to 
Godhead!  just  as  Adam's  children  attain,  through  natural  de- 
velopments, Manhood,    ^yhat  an  absurdity! 

I  will  now  indicate,  as  clearly  as  I  can,  the  kind  of  union 
which  subsisted  between  God  and  his  chosen  people  befoi^e 
time,  and  before  their  spiritual  quickening,  or  before  Christ 
gave  them  life,  and,  also,  the  kind  which  obtains  between  them 
afte?'  they  are  made  alive  in  Christ.  He  is  said  to  be  before 
all  things — by  Him  were  all  things  created,  that  are  in  heaven 
and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible.  Thus,  Christ,  in 
his  uncreated  Divinity  and  Godhead,  was  before  all  things; 
hence,  all  other  beings,  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  are  after  crea- 
tures, subjected,  as  to  their  actual  existence,  to  the  future,  when 
their  entity  was  only  in  th.e  purpose,  and  not  in  the  essence  of 
God;  and  the  certaint}^  of  their  existence  in  themselves,  in 
their  day  and  time,  was  of  the  power  of  God,  and  the  order 
of  their  date  was  of  his  will  and  wisdom.  Such  after  creatures, 
considered  in  themselves  before  their  creation,  w^ere  nonentities; 
but  not  so  with  God,  for  he  had  "gone  out  before"  them, 
in  a  purpose  to  create  them,  according  to  his  foreknowledge 
of  them,  in  their  day,  time,  and  state.  Thus  did  God  reduce 
the  future  to  the  present  with  Himself!    ^Yith  whom  the  pur- 


122 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


poses  are  the  same  as  the  actualities  of  time — no  difference 
with  him  between  time  and  eternity!  In  this  sublime  way 
He  embraced  His  people  in  eternal  bonds  of  love,  grace  and 
election,  wherein  they^stood  personally  as  distinct  from  all  the 
rest  of  the  human  family  as  though  they  had  no  connection  with 
them.  In  the  same  way  grace  was  given  to  them  in  Christ 
before  the  world  began;  and  all  other  blessings  given  to  them 
in  Christ  before  they  had  an  actual  existence.  We  should 
be  very  particular,  just  here  to  distinguish  between  God  and 
created  things:  On  their  part,  in  se,  they  have  a  beginning, 
previously  to  which  they  were  nonentities,  and  as  such,  could 
have  no  union,  actually,  in  themselves,  with  any  thing.  So, 
their  actual,  natural  existence  in,  and  union  with,  Adam,  had 
a  beginning,  and  so  had  their  actual,  spiritual  existence  in, 
and  union  with,  Christ,  in  se.  This  kind  of  union  cannot  ob- 
tain until  they  are  quickened  by  the  Lord  into  Life,  and  there- 
by brought  into  a  spiritual  vital  union  with  Himself.  Then, 
and  not  until  then,  does  the  spiritual  union  between  God  and 
his  elect,  become  mutual  and  actual  on  their  part.  I  admit, 
there  was  an  actual,  eternal  union  on  the  part  of  God,  with 
his  chosen,  but  it  was  only  in  the  eternal  bonds  of  predestina- 
tion, purpose,  election,  love,  grace  and  mercy. 

Throughout  all  the  works  of  God,  we  may  trace,  in  some 
degree,  his  power,  his  wisdom,  his  purpose,  and  his  design, 
but  not  his  essence:  He  did  not  confound  that  with  natural  or 
spiritual  nonentities;  they  stand  forth  plainly  contradistinguish- 
ed from  Himself,  however  closely  He  may  be  otherwise  united 
to  them.  TheTj  are  the  works  of  his  power  and  wisdom,  and 
not  a  dissemination  of  the  Divine  Essence. 

I  will  now  briefly  show  what  Paul  meant  by  the  text  under 
Consideration — especially,  in  what  sense  Adam  was  a  figure 
of  Christ,  in  strict  conformity  to  the  five  succeeding  verses, 
wherein  the  true  import  of  the  text  may  be  seen,  as 
far  as  the  figure  is  concerned.  Adam  was  regard- 
ed by  the  Apostle,  according  to  a  learned  commentator,  with 
whom  I  fully  agree,  as  an  antithetic  figure  of  Christ,  and  is  rep- 


MANICH^O   PARKERITE   HERESY.  1#3. 

resented  as  an  antitheton,  or  opposite  to  him;  therefore,  death 
came  by  Adam,  and  life  by  Christ;  sin  came  by  Adam  and 
righteousness  by  Christ;  judgment  unto  condemnation  by 
Adam,  the  free  gif  of  justification  by  Christ;  death  reigned  by 
Adam,  life  by  Christ;  the  disobedience  of  Adam  made  many 
sinners,  the  obedience  of  Christ  made  many  righteous;  sin  reign- 
ed unto  death  through  Adam,  but  grace  reigned  nnto  eternal  life 
through  Christ.  Thus,  the  evils  which  were  entailed  on  the  hu- 
man family  by  Adam,  as  theirfederal  head,  are  contrasted  with, 
and  compared  antithetically  to  the  blessings  v/hich  have  been 
procured  by  Christ,  for  his  elect,  as  their  Federal  Flead;  in  this, 
and  no  other  way,  was  Adam  a  figure  of  him  that  was  to  come. 
So,  the  great  delusion  about  Christ's  elect  having  an  eternal, 
actual  existence  in;  and  union  with  him,  receives  no  seeming 
support  from  this  text,  as  modern  Parkerites  vainly  imagine. 

Christ  says,  "All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to  m^," 
as  their  surety,  covenantee  and  Spiritual  Head,  but  no/;/?'o/7z  me, 
as  their  Spiritual  Head,  as  some  would  speak  for  him  in  these 
latter  days! 

While  on  the  subject  of  figurative  texts,  I  will  refer  to  anoth- 
er which  has  been  improperly  interpreted  by  carrying  the  figure 
too  far,  which  is  as  follows:  "I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the 
branches."    John  xv,  5. 

All  figures  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  other  WTitings,  are  . 
used  to  represent  the  prominent  outlines  of  things  for  which 
they  are  substituted,  and  by  straining  them  to  the  utmost,  as 
is  often  done,  to  sustain  some  fai^orite  theor}^,  many  hurtful 
errors  and  gross  absurdities  have  been  involved.  Forinstance, 
Christ  is  compared  by  Moses  to  himself,  but  if  we  extend  the 
figure  beyond  proper  bounds,  the  comparison  will  fail  and 
involve  absurd  contradictions.  In  some  respects  Abraham 
and  his  posterity  were  typical  of  Christ  and  his  people,  but 
surely  not  in  all.  Joseph  was  typical  of  Christ,  but  the  figure 
has  its  bounds,  which  cannot  be  passed  without  destroying  it. 
So  in  regard  to  Christ  and  his  people,  wYiQii  compared  to  a 
vine  and  its  branches.    This  figure  has  been  made,  by  mod- 


124 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


ern  Parkeriteg,  to  signify  that  as  the  branches  had  an  actual 
existence  in  the  vine  before  they  were  put  forth,  so  the  elect  of 
Christ  have  an  actual  existence  in  him  before  the}-  are  born 
as  saints!  See  how  far  this  figure  has  been  carried.  This 
figure  of  the  vine  w^as  only  designed  to  show  the  close  union 
of  Christ  and  his  people;  for,  by  taking  the  same  liberty  v^^ith 
the  text  which  Parkerites  have  done,  any  one  may  prove  the 
final  apostacy  of  true  believers;  for,  says  Christ,  ''every  branch 
in  me  thatbeareth  notfruit"  he  taketh  away.  But  these  sure- 
ly represent  false  professors,  although,  observe,  they  are 
said  to  be  in  Christ,  as  the  branches  are  in  the  vine. 

While  Parkerites  extend  some  figures  far  beyond  their 
Scriptural  signification,  they  seem  inclined  to  reduce  others  to 
an  unmeaning  nullity.  The  three  following  texts  have  been 
treated  in  that  way  by  them: 

'^Having  predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  by  Jesus 
Christ  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will." 
Eph.  i,4. 

"For  ye  have  not  received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to 
fear;  but  ye  have  received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we 
cry  Abba,  Father."    Rom.  viii,  15. 

''But  w^hen  the  fullness  of  the  time  was  come,  God  sent 
forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law,  to  re- 
deem them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive  the 
adoption  of  sons."    Gal.  iv,  5,  6. 

Those  who  would  evade  the  force  of  the  doctrine  of  adoption 
sa3%  "it  is  the  Church  that  adopts,"  notwithstanding  Paul  has 
so  plainly  taught  us  that  our  adoption  is  of  God,  "/^j/  Jesus 
Christ,  to  Hmiself,  according  to  the  pleasure  of  His  Will.^''  No 
wonder  we  have  perversions,  heresies,  debates  and  divisions 
among  us,fi'om  such  a  deceitful  handling  of  the  Word  of  God; 
a  part  carried  far  beyond  its  true  import,  and  another  portion 
suppressed  just  as  may  subserve  their  tenets  or  fancies. 

Let  the  reader  observe,  that  the  elect  of  God  were  first 
predestinated  to  the  adoption  of  children, — secondly,  that  Christ 


MANICHiEO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


125 


was  "made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them 
that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of 
sons,"  and,  thirdly,  Paul  says,  "We  have  received  the  spirit  of 
adoption,  whereby  we  cry  Abba,  Father."  Who,  but  blind 
guides,  could  affirm,  in  view  of  such  Scripture  testimony,  that 
the  Church  adopts  the  children  of  God — that  their  adoption  is  of 
no  higher  order  than  that  of  the  Church,  when  Paul  says  God 
predestinated  our  adoption, — Christ  redeemed  us  from  the 
law  that  we  might  receive  it — and  the  Holy  Spirit  surnames 
Himself  by  it  in  communicating  its  blessings — calling  Himself 
the'"Spirit  of  Adoption."  The  three  persons  in  the  Trinity, 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  have  taken  a  part  in  this  great 
affair,  and  in  these  latter  days  men  arise  among  our  own 
selves  and  say,  "it  is  only  the  Church  that  adopts!!"  0  Lord 
deliver  us  from  such  teachers! 

The  Greek  word  uiothesia,  the  Latin  one  adoptio,  and  the  En- 
glish derivative  adoption^  agree  in  one  common  signification — 
the  taking  of  the  child  of  another  person,  and  treating  it  as 
one's  own.  Thus,  God  takes  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Adam, 
those  whom  He  did  predestinate  unto  the  adoption  of  sons, 
and  treats  them  as  His  Own.  He  brings  them  through  the 
spirit  of  adoption,  according  to  the  blessings  of  adoption,  into 
a  living  actual  union  with  Himself  and  Son.  But  the  perver- 
ter  of  adoption,  to  evade  its  force  here,  is  constrained  to  say  • 
that  the  Church  adopts,  or  that  God  adopts  his  own  children. 

I  will  now  bring  forward  some  of  the  great  outlines  of  adop- 
tion, which,  though  deficient  in  many  respects,  they  will  yet 
show  some  of  its  leading  particulars. 

A  wealthy,  pious,  man,  with  only  one  son,  pre-determines, 
(Eph.  i,  5.), at  the  expiration  of  five  years  to  adopt  three  out 
of  the  twelve  children  of  a  neighboring^family,  in  great  distress, 
wretchedness  and  vileness.  This  only  son  agrees  to  remove  ■ 
(Gal.  iv,  5)  all  obstacles  out  of  the  way.  Observe,  that  al- 
though these  children  are  predestinated  to  the  adoption  of  sons, 
and  unto  all  the  blessings  of  adoption,  yet  until  the  five  years 
expire,  they  vdll  not  differ  from  the  others,  (Gal.  iv,  1,)  though 


126  A   REFUTATION  OF  THE 

they  be  heirs  of  all  the  blessings  of  adoption,  in  the  purpose, 
pre-determiiiation  and  choice  of  this  benevolent  person.  But, 
at  the  expiration  of  the  five  years,  the  appointed  time — ^^all  ob- 
stacles being  removed — they  receive  (Gal.  iv,  5,)  the  adoption 
of  sons,  and  through  its  blessings  are  translated  from  the  hov- 
el of  poverty,  vice  and  Vi^retchedness,  to  a  mansion  of  plenty, 
piety,  peace  and  happiness;  and  to  carry  out  the  figure,  this 
benevolent  man  takes  off  their  "filthy  garments,"  and  puts  the 
costly  clothing  of  his  son  on  them — infuses  the  spirit  and  wis- 
dom of  his  son  into  them — regards  them  as  righteous  as  his 
son,  on  account  of  what  he  has  done  for  them.  Thus,  they  become 
one  with  him,  and  call  him  brother,  and  he  calls  them  brethren 
— and  they  call  the  adopter  Father;  but,  I  ask,  in  what  sense? 
Not  in  the  sense  which  his  only  son  does,  but  through  the 
blessings  of  adoption.  Rom.  viii,  15.  So,  God's  children  cry 
Abba,  Father,  not  as  Christ  does  through  the  spirit  without  meas- 
ure^ but  through  the  measure  of  the  spirit  in  adoption.  Thus 
Godsends  forth  the  spirit  of  his  son  into  their  hearts,  because 
they  were  predestinated  to  the  adoption  of  sons,  to  make  them 
his  actual  spiritual  adoptives  in  se.  Hence,  the  reason  why 
they  are  called  sons  before  the  spirit  of  adoption  is  sent  forth 
into  their  hearts. 

I  will  now  quote  another  text  which  is  often  interpreted  er- 
roneously by  our  Parkerite  expositors:  "Forasmuch,  then,  as 
the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself 
took  part  of  the  same;  that  through  death  he  might  destroy 
him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is  the  devil."  Heb.  ii, 
14.  Just  as  though  the  apostle  had  said,  'forasmuch,  then,  as 
the  children,  whom  the  Lord  foreknew,  as  beings  who  were 
not,  as  though  they  were,  were  in  the  fullness  of  time 
partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  likewise  took  part  of  the 
same  vv^hen  he  w^as  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law; 
for  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  he  could  reach  their 
state  of  death  and  sin,  and  become  one  with  them  as  a  broth- 
er, or  near  kinsman,  and  thus  deliver  them  therefrom. 
Again,  the  meaning  of  the  apostle  is,  forasmuch  as  those 


MANICH^O    PARKERITE  HERESY. 


whom  the  Lord  did  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to. the  Im- 
age of  his  son,  were  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood — children 
in  a  prospective  sense — he  likewise  took  part  of  the  same. 
Or,  farther,  forasmuch  as  the  children — children  first  in  the 
following  sense,  elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God 
the  Father,  unto  actual  adoptive  sonship,  through  a  sanctifi- 
cation  of  the  spirit,  and  a  conformation  to  the  image  af  Christ, 
-^-weire  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  likevv-ise  took  part  of 
the  same,  that  he  might,  through  his  humanity,  deliver  them 
from  death  and  sin,  which  they  and  all  the  rest  of  the  human 
family  were  subject  to,  and  secure  to  themx  the  blessings 
just  mentioned.  Thus  we  see  that  they  were  not  actual  spirit- 
ual children,  but  children  in  the  sense  which  I  have  plainly 
indicated. 

It  is  highly  necessary  Vv^e  should  observe,  that  the  Lord, 
in  the  assumption  of  our  human  nature,  became  actually 
united  to  us  in  that  respect,  and  when  we  receive  his  spirit, 
the  spirit  of  adoption,  with  all  the  blessings  of  adoption, 
we  become  actually  united  to  him  spiritually,  and  we  had  just 
as  well  say  that  we  were  in  actual  union  with  him  in  our  bu- 
rn a:n  nature,  before  he  took  our  humanity,  as  to  say  that  we 
were  in  actual  spiritual  union  with  him  before  he  sent  his 
spirit  into  our  hearts,  to  change  them,  and  to  bring  them  into 
a  living  actual  union  with  himself 

-How  different  is  all  this  from  the  xiianichssan  error,  that  the 
children  in  the  text  emanated  from  God  as  his  actual  spiritual 
children  infused  into  Adam  at  the  time  his  body  was  created; 
aiidas  they  have  in  that  way  partook  of  flesh  and  blood,  Christ 
also  partook  of  the  same.  These  emanations  dwell  in  a  part 
af  the  human  bodies  and  a  similar  emanation  fi'om  the  devil, 
called  his  seed,  dwell  in  the  rest  of  the  human  bodies!  And 
in  proof  of  this  two-seed  system,  they  quote  another  text 
from  Isa.  ii,  10:  "When  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering, 
for  sin,  he  shall  see  his  seed;"  just  as  though  the  prophet  had 
said  he  shall  see  his  elect,  his  predestinated  ones,  those  whom, 
the  Father  gave  him  in  covenant. 


128 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


Manichaean  teachers  pretend  to  think  that  the  parable  of 
the  tares  and  wheat  will  not  admit  of  any  other  interpretation, 
than  that  which  they  give;  hence,  they  attach  great  im- 
portance to  their  perversions  of  the  parable,  believing,  as  they 
do,  that  they  cannot  be  refuted. 

The  first  thing  necessary  to  a  correct  understanding  of  this 
text  will  be  to  attend  carefully  to  the  other  parables,  deliver- 
ed at  the  same  time  by  the  Saviour,  illustrating  the  kingdom 
of  heaven. 

1.  The  parable  of  the  sower,  which  shows  the  activity  of 
Satan  in  perverting  the  word  of  God  and  contains  nothing  in 
it,  which  favors  the  two-seed  system. 

'  2.  The  parable  of  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  by  whigh  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  was  illustrated,  certainly  does  not  refer  to 
anything  of  the  kind. 

3.  That  of  comparing  the  kingdom  of  God  to  leaven,  does 
not  signify  anything  like  such  a  notion. 

■.  4.  Nor  does  the  likening  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  a 
treasure  hid  in  a  field  afford  the  least  support  to  such  a  tenet. 

5.  Who,  I  would  ask,  can  see  anything  like  it,  in  the  para- 
ble of  the  merchantman  and  pearl? 

6.  The  parable  of  the  net  is  surely  not  amenable  to  any 
such  interpretation. 

Whence,  all  their  errors  may  be  traced  to  the  one  of  the 
tares  and  wheat,  although  there  are  six  other  parables  in  the 
same  chapter,  yet  they  cannot  find  any  thing  in  any  of  them 
tending  to  confirm  their  views.  And  yet  all  these  parables 
were  instituted  by  the  Saviour  to  elucidate  his  kingdom. 
Surely,  so  important  a  doctrine  as  that  of  God's  having  a 
spiritual  seed,  which  emanated  from  his  divine  Essence,  and 
the  devil  one  likewise,  which  emanated  from  his  own  uncre- 
ated entity,  would  have  been  taught  in  some  of  these  para- 
bles. On  the  contrary,  no  such  a  doctrine  can  be  deduced 
from  any  of  them — not  even  from  their  favorite  one,  the  para- 
ble of  the  tares  ^nd  the  wheat,   Let.us  now  attend  to  Christ's 


MANICH^O  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


120 


©xpianation  of  it: — ''He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  He 
that  soweth  the  good  seed  is  the  son  of  man:  The  field  is  the 
world:  The  good  seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom;  but 
the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one.  The  enemy 
that  sowed  them  is  the  devil."  Mat.  xiii,  37,  3S,  39.  If  it  be 
a  settled  truism,  as  it  should  unquestionably  be,  that  the  Lord 
makes  Christians  comparable  to  wheat  in  the  parable — accor- 
ding to  what  has  been  termed  a  w^ork  of  grace  on  their  hearts 
—then  we  may,  in  the  light  of  that  truth,  see  Him  that  sow- 
eth the  good  seed,  the  field  wherein  they  are  solved,  and  the 
good  seed  themselves.  Again,  if  it  be  admitted — and  truth 
demands  its  admission — that  the  devil  makes  hypocrites,  se- 
ducers, deceivers,  and  heretics,  then  we  may,  according  to 
that  truism,  learn  what  is  meant  by  tares,  the  sowing  of  them, 
and  the  wicked  one  who  sowed  them.  The  church,  therefore, 
will  of  necessity  be  infested  with  hypocrites  and  heretics; 
and  their  earthly  connections  are  often  such  with  true  believ- 
ers that  they  cannot  be  separated  from  them  without  injury; 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  their  connections  in  the 
world:  their  final  separation  cannot  take  place  here,  but  will 
at  the  end  of  the  world.  Satan,  through  his  power  over 
the  seed  of  the  sower — the  very  seed  which  brought  forth 
good  fruit  on  good  ground — prevents  this  seed  from  doing  so 
when  they  fall  by  the  way  side.  If  he  has  power  to  blind  the 
eyes  of  some  when  the  true  Gospel  is  preached,  how  much 
greater  must  be  his  power  over  his  oz/;7i  system— the  devil's 
system! — termed  by  the  Apostle,  "another  gospel,"  made  up 
of  "the  doctrines  of  devils,"  and  "strange  doctrines,"  when 
preached  by  his  ministers:  then  tares  are  sowed,  in  the  fullest 
sense  of  the  term,  then  come  indeed  hypocrites,  seducers,  fig- 
urative children  of  the  devil,  just  such  as  are  represented  in 
the  parable. 

A  wrong  exposition  of  the  following  text  has  also  often 
been  given  from  our  pulpits:  "Who  hath  saved  us,  and  called 
us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to  our  works,  but  ac- 
cording to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in 
Christ  Jesus,  before  the  world  began."  11  Tim.i,  9, 


30  A  REFUTATEON  OF  THE 

The  heretical  exposition  of  this  text  involves  the  absurd 
tenet  that  saints  existed  spiritually  before  the  world  began? 
and  that  grace  was  actually  given  to  them  before  the  world 
began.  Note,  if  an  actual  seed  of  this  kind  were  infused  into 
Adam,  in  the  actual  possession  of  grace,  given  actually  to 
them  before  the  world  began,  (they  say  all  this  was  actual,) 
how,  could  they  become  afterwards  "dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins?"  An  actual  spiritual  seed,  with  actual  grace,  becomes 
actually  dead  afterwards  "in  trespasses  and  sins"!!  Mon- 
strous— how  can  they  believe  it? 

The  text  explains  itself,  and  just  let  it  be  interpreted  ac- 
cording to  its  own  explanation,  and  we  shall  have  its  true 
meaning.  For  instance,  let  the  gift  of  grace  be  "according 
to  his  purpose,"  and  not  according  to  the  reality  of  the  gift  to 
a  real  spiritual  seed,  and  then  the  whole  affair  becomes  plain 
in  the  letter,  and  consistent  with  Christian  experience.  This 
grace  was  then  given  in  covenant  before  the  world  began,  unto 
those  "whom  He  did  foreknow,"  according  to  his  eternal  pur~ 
pose  to  create  them  in  Adam,  and  to  save  them  after  their 
fall  in  Christ,  according  to  those  spiritual  blessings  which  hq 
gave  them,  prospectively  in  him. 

After  all,  the  perverters  of  this  text  say,  that  it  says,  in 
plain  words,  the  Lord  did  give  us  grace  in  Christ  before 
the  world  began,  and  that  it  must  be  so,  without  apparently 
any  correct  understanding  of  the  prospective  way  in  which 
it  was  done;  and  now,  to  show  them  that  the  explanation 
given  is  entirely  compatible  with  the  general  tenor  of  Scrip- 
ture, I  will  quote  a  strong  text  just  in  point. — "The  Lamb 
slam  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  Rev,  xiii,  8.  The 
error  would  be  no  greater  to  say  that  Christ  was  actually  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  than  to  say  that  grace  was 
actually  given  to  us  before  the  world  began.  And  we  know 
that  the  world  had  been  in  existence  4,000  years  before  Christ 
was  actually  slain!  The  Lord  both  speaks  of,  and  acts  in  re- 
gard to,  things,  "which  be  not  as  though  they  were."    I  have 


MAXICH.EO  PARKEEITE    HERESY.  -  131 


not  onl}'  proved  this  from  the  plain  declarations  of  Scripture, 
(Rom.  iv,  17,)  but  have  also  given  an  example  of  it. 

This  text,  "Preserved  in  Christ  Jesus  and  called,"  deserves  a 
passing  notice,  as  some  say,  that  it  means  the  saints  had 
some  kind  of  an  existence  in  Christ  before  time!  Surely,  this 
Scripture  does  not  mean  any  thing  more  or  less  than  that  the 
elect  of  God  are  preserved  through  the  special  providence  of 
Christ  alive,  until  he  calls  them  to  be  saints — to  be  made  such 
by  his  grace;  for  I  would  as  soon  expect  the  world  to  come  to 
an  untimely  end  as  for  one  of  these  to  die  before  they  are  re- 
generated, or  called  to  be  saints.  Well,  indeed,  may  they  be 
said  to  be  "preserved  in  Christ  Jesus  and  called." 

And  He  said  unto  them.  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that  belie veth  and 
is  baptised  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned."  Mark  xvi,  15,  16.  The  unscriptural  sayings 
which  have  been  predicated  of  this  text,  have  done  much 
heretical  mischief  among  the  Old  Baptists.  Som.e  of  our  ul- 
traists  are  occasionally  heard  to  say,  in  our  pulpits,  that  they 
have  no  authority  to  preach  to  sinners,  and  they  seem  to 
glory  in  their  fancied  exemption.  Nothing  appears  to  give 
them  greater  offence,  or  savors  more  of  Arminianism  with 
them,  than  for  sinners  to  be  exhorted  to  repent ! 

That  the  commission  extends  to  such,  is  apparent  from  the 
fact  that  some  believe,  and  some  do  not.  Those  who  believe 
were  unbelievers  before,  and  the  unbelieving  of  others  can 
only  be  predicated  of  their  hearing.  "What  said  the  prophet? 
"0  ye  dry  bones,  hear  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord."  I  would 
just  state  here,  at  once,  that  I  have  no  idea  that  sinners,  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sins,  will  ever  believe  through  the  mere 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  or  through  the  exhortations  of  the 
Lord's  ministers,  any  more  than  that  the  dry  bones  vrould 
have  lived  through  the  prophecying  of  the  prophet,  apart  from 
what  the  Lord  did  for  them.  But  that  fact  does  not  nullify 
the  commission  to  preach  to  them,  but  on  the  contrary  greatly 


132 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


strengthens  it.    The  divine  assurance  that  God's  word  will 
prosper  in  the  thing  whereunto  He  hath  sent  it,  affords  great 
encouragement  to  preach  it  to  sinners.    If  it  be  said  by  the 
objector  that  they  are  deaf  and  cannot  hear  it,  faith  replies 
God  can  open  their  ears ;   if   said  they  are    dead,  faith 
again  says  God  will  give  them  life  ;  and  thus  faith  can  meet 
all  the  objections  which  can  be  urged  against  preaching  to 
the  very  chief  of  sinners,  and  at  the  same  time  exclude  that 
Arminianism  v/hich  some  affect  to  see  in  a  course  of  this  kind. 
Where  is  the  Arminianism,  I  would  ask,  in  doing  what  the 
Lord  has  expressly  commanded  us  to  do  ?  unless,  however, 
it  be  by  doing  these  things  v/ithout  faith.    It  seems  tome 
that  two  very  opposite  errors  may  be  indicated  here  :    1.  The 
Arminian  takes  the  means  out  of  the  hands  of  God,  in  toto, 
or  in  part,  and  uses  them  according  to  his  own  strength, 
and  they  then  degenerate  into  Arminian  powers.    2,  The 
Antinomian  will  not  regard  any  thing  in  the  light  of  means, 
and  in  his  doctrine  will  not  allow  even  the  Lord  to  employ 
them — says  that  the  Lord  is  not  dependent  on  means,  and 
can  do  all  his  work  v/ithout  them.    Now,  the  truth  is,  had  it 
been  the  ivill  or  ike  way  of  the  Lord,  He  could  have  breathed 
upon  the  dry  bones  as  well  without  the  prophecying  of  the 
prophet  as  with  it,  and  could  have  given  repentance  to  John's 
converts,  or  to  Paul's,  without  their  preaching ;  but  their 
preaching  to  such,  even  to  those  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins, 
had  been  included  in  the  divine  plan,  and  it  needs  must  be 
done — let  it  be  termed  means,  the  will  or  way  of  the  Lord,  as 
you  please. 

I  will  now  confirm  all  the  foregoing,  by  a  reference  to  an 
example,  recorded  in  the  13th  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  preached  several  days  at 
Antioch  in  Pisidia — preached  the  Gospel,  according  to  the 
commission  to  every  one — stating  also  how  John  had  fulfilled 
his  course,  by  preaching  the  repentance  of  baptism  to  all  the 
people  of  Israel.  Paul  both  preached  and  exhorted,  and  in 
conclusion,  we  are  informed  that  "as  many  as  were  ordained 
to  eternal  life  believed."    Observe,  not  as  many  as  wersr 


MANICH.EO  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


133 


addressed,  but  as  many  as  the  Lord  made  alive,  as  many  as 
the  Lord  enabled  to  believe,  or  gave  faith  to,  which  blessings 
always  take  the  course  of  God's  ordination,  and  not  the 
course  of  general  or  promiscuous  preaching.  While  Paul, 
for  instance,  is  preaching  and  exhorting  all  his  hearers  to 
believe  the  Gospel  tidings,  a  secret,  unobserved,  hidden 
power  is  operating  on  the  few  in  the  way  of  divine  ordination. 
Our  preaching  is  unto  all — we  have  only  the  letter  of  the 
Gospel  committed  to  our  charge,  and  that  we  should  declare 
unto  all;  but  "the  excellency  of  the  power"  is  with  God,  and 
takes  the  line  of  his  election  with  divine  certainty,  and  all  the 
preaching  that  was  ever  done  by  Patriarchs,  Prophets, 
Apostles,  or  called  Ministers,  will  not  extend  "the  excellency 
of  the  power"  beyond  it.  God  has  never  delegated  that  to 
any  one  else,  and  of  course  it  will  be  put  forth  according  to 
His  will,  predestination  and  election ;  but  not  so  of  the  com- 
mission to  preach  the  literal  word  ;  which  includes  in  its  scope 
*'all  the  world  and  every  creature"  in  it.  Now,  if  it  be  asked, 
Why  did  the  Lord  give  a  commission  to  preach  to  every 
creature,  when  it  was  not  his  design  to  save  every  creature? 
I  will  answer  it  as  soon  as  the  following  one  is  correctly 
answered :  "Why  was  it  necessary  that  the  word  of  the  Lord 
should  be  first  preached  to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  who  despised 
and  wondered  at  it,  and  put  it  away  from  them,  before  it  was 
preached  to  the  Gentiles  ?"  Let  us  learn  our  duty  as  min- 
isters, examine  our  commission,  and  see  how  fully  it  author- 
izes us,  in  faith,  to  exhort  the  sinner  to  repent,  believing  that 
the  Lord  can  give  him  repentance;  and  to  believe,  believing 
that  the  Lord  can  give  faith.  We  have  taught  fully  and  plainly 
that  Christ  is  exalted  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour  to  give  repentance, 
and  there  is  no  lack  of  teaching  in  that  respect,  but,  w^e  have 
neglected  the  precept,  "repent,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
at  hand." — We  have  taught,  with  great  plainness,  that  faith 
is  the  gift  of  God,  that  it  is  a  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  but  we  have 
not  showed  and  held  forth  as  we  should  have  done,  the  works 
oi  faith,  or  the  obedience  of  faith. — We  have  preached  the 
doctrine  of  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints,  witliout 


134 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


showing,  as  we  should  have  done,  the  holy  way  of  persever- 
ance— such,  for  instance,  as  true  believers  pursue,  which  is 
far  different  from  that  of  an  Antinomian,  or  a  carnal  profes- 
sor. In  short,  we  have  taught  the  word  of  doctrine  to  our 
hearers,  without  stopping  to  exhort  them  to  be  "doers  of  the 
word."  Such  preaching  has  been  a  great  injury  to  us  as  a 
denomination; — it  has  quenched  the  spirit  of  exhortation 
among  us,  and  the  exhorter  is  afraid  to  call  on  sinners  to  re- 
pent, for  fear  of  being  called  an  Arminian.  Parkerites  and 
Antinomians  call  the  things  which  have  been  so  much  neglect- 
ed Arminianism,  and  they  have  thus,  in  a  goodly  degree, 
suppressed  them.  But,  as  there  is  some  proj«pect  of  our  get- 
ting clear  of  that  heresy,  we  hope  to  see  the  spirit  of  exhorta- 
tion revive  among  us  again ;  to  see  our  ministers  take  up  the 
long-neglected  things  just  indicated;  and  to  see  our  brethren 
going  forth  in  all  the  obdience  of  faith.  We  had  better  thus 
incur  the  Parkerite's  reproachful  term,  Arminian,  than  the 
Bible  penalties  for  a  neglect  of  them. 

A  modern  heresy,  with  which  the  old  order  of  Baptists  are 
now  troubled,  has  been  based  upon  the  following  texts  of 
Scripture:  "These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and 
true  Witness,  the  Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God."  Rev. 
iii,  14.  "For  ye  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  good  w^orks,  v/hich  God  hath  befoie  ordained  that  we 
should  walk  in  them."  Eph.  ii,  10. 

Those  who  pervert  these  texts  say  that  Christ  is  the  Begin- 
ning of  the  Creation  of  God,  and  was  created  in  his  divine 
nature,  rather,  as  I  conceive,  in  an  Arian  sense, — that  when 
He  was  set  up,  as  the  First  Born,  the  Brought  Forth,  or  the 
^  Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God,  that  his  mystical  seed  was 
then  created  in  Him;  but  that  Christ,  as  God,  before  this  was 
uncreated,  underived,  &c.  So  the  saint  is  not  regarded  by 
them  as  an  emanation  from  God,  in  the  full  Manichaean  sense, 
but  in  a  Semi-Arian  sense,  as  an  emanation  from  Christ,  as  the 
Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God;  or  the  developement  of  a  seed 
created  in  Him  when  He  Himself  was  created  in  His  Divine 


MANICHiEO    PARKERITE  HERESY.. 


Nature!!    But  after  all,  the  words  on  which  they  so  much  rely, 
"the  Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God,"  will  not  admit  of  the 
Arian  sense  ascribed  to  them,  for  it  is  well  known  that  the 
Greek  word  arche  translated  beginnings  signifies  with  another 
noun,  as  arche  ktiseos.     Head,  Producer,  Author,  First  Cause, 
&:c.,  which  agrees  indeed  with  Col.  i.  15,  16,17:  Johni.  I,  2,3: 
Then  Chrsit  is  the  Head  of  Creation,  the  Creator  of  all  things, 
and  in  that  sense  the  Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God, 
through  Whom  creation  began,  not  verily,  as  I  might  suppose 
merely,  but  according  to  the  plain  testimony  of  John  and  Paul, 
as  just  referred  to;  which,  forsooth,  has  ever  been  the  Ortho- 
dox view  of  the  subject.    But  Christ,  as  the  Beginning  of  the 
Creation  of  God,  and  the  spiritual  head  of  the  saints,  is  some- 
thing new  among  the  old  order  of  Baptists,  and  the  ism  is  hard 
to  define,  I  acknowledge:    So,  indeed,  is  the  new  ism  about 
'Quickened  Spirits.''    I  have  read  of  a  Holy  Spirit,  of  an  Evil 
Spirit,  of  a  Right  Spirit,  ot  a  Quickening  Spirit,  of  being 
Quickened,  but  never  in  my  Bible,  or  any  where  else  did  I 
ever  read  of  ^Quickened  Spirits!^    I  cannot  conceive  of  such  a 
thing,  only  in  words,  for  it  is  all  the  while  with  me  like  giving 
life  to  the  living,  and  death  to  the  dead.    This,  I  suppose,  is 
the  imaginary  seed,  which  was  created  in  Christ  when  He 
became  the  Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God,  and  which  af- 
terwards becomes  in  the  new  birth  a  quickened  spirit.  What 
is  the  fruit  of  the  new  or  spiritual  birth?    It  is  no  where  said 
to  be  the  quickening  of  a  spirit,  I  am  sure.    Paul  says,  writing 
to  Ephesian  Christians,  'And  you  hath  He  quickened,'  the 
^you'  here  surely  does  not  relate  to  a  dead  spirit  in  Christ,  but 
to  the  Ephesians,  who  were,  as  he  said,  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins:  the  seed  in  Christ  could  not  have  been  thus  dead, 
even  supposing  such  a  seed  to  have  existed.    Moreover,  note 
the  fact,  that  the  Ephesians  were  not  quickened  by  quickening 
spirits  from  Christ,  but  by  Christ  Plimself  as  a  Quickening 
Spirit. 

The  fruit  of  the  spirit  in  the  new  birth  is  said  to  be  spiritual 
— That  w^hich  is  born  of  the  spirit  is  spiritual ;  hence  we  have 
love,  joy  and  peace  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  not  in  a  quickened 


136 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


spirit.  This  spiritual  change  of  the  soul  makes  it  meet  for  the 
indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  not  a  quickened  spirit. 
The  soul,  therefore,  gives  evidence  of  a  spiritual  change,  by 
the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  who  wrought  that  change.  Christ  is 
made  unto  saints — not  a  created  or  derived  seed — but  wis- 
dom, righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption;  through 
which  spiritual  blessings  they  become  new  creatures  in  Christ 
Jesus,  and  are  said  to  be,  consequently,  the  workmanship  of 
God,  created  in  Christ  unto  good  works.  Then  it  is  through  a 
sandification  of  the  spirit^  (Pe.  i,  II  Thes.ii.  13,)  and  not  a  quick- 
ened spirit,  that  we  are  prepared  for  good  works. 

We  were  blessed — says  Paul-Eph.  i,  3 — with  all  spiritual 
blessings,  just  such  as  were  necessary  to  bring  the  soul  in 
this  life,  and  the  body  after  death,  into  living  and  actual 
union  with  Christ,  and  to  make  both  meet  to  be  partakers  of 
the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  heaven.  All  these  spiritual 
blessings  were  given  in  counsel,  in  covenant,  in  purpose,  in 
predestination,  and  in  election,  before  the  world  began. 

It  is  very  astonishing  that  the  old  order  of  Baptists  should 
write  and  preach  so  much  about  these  things  without  referring 
to  the  purpose  and  election  of  God.  Their  system  has  become 
independent  of  the  purpose  and  election  of  God,  and  merges 
all  things  into  the  Divine  Essence,  or  into  Christ  as  the  begin- 
ning of  the  creation  of  God;  hence,  so  little  of  late  has  been 
preached  or  written  about  the  prospective  foreknowledge  of 
God,  His  purpose,  His  election,  &c.  They  say:  Deny  the 
eternal  actual  union  of  saints  with  God,  and  you  take  away 
the  greatest  consolation  of  the  Christian.  They  cannot,  I 
suppose,  see  anything  sure  in  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  or 
certain  in  His  predestination  and  election.  The  covenant, 
though  well  ordered  in  all  things  is  not  sure  in  their  estimation. 
He  who  has  an  eye  to  see  these  things,  as  they  are,  can  de- 
duce much  more  comfort  and  assurance  from  them  than  others 
can  from  the  belief  of  the  error,  that  we  were  created  in  Christ 
Jesus  when  He  Himself  was  created  in  His  Divine  Nature;  or. 


MANICH^O  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


137 


from  another,  that  we  have  been  in  eternal,  actual  union  with 
God,  as  apart  or  portion  of  his  incommunicable  Essence! 

The  second  text:  'For  ye  are  his  workmanship,  created  in 
Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God.  hath  before  ordain- 
ed that  we  should  walk  in  them,'  has  been  wrested  from  its 
vital  connections,  and  pressed  into  the  service  of  dead  fancies. 
This  text  maintains  throughout  an  intimate  doctrinal  connec- 
tion with  the  context.  For  instance,  the  apostle  first  men- 
tions that  those  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  were 
quickened — that  they  were  saved  by  grace — that  they  were 
made  to  sit  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus — that 
they  were  not  saved  by  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast; — 
then  comes  in  the  connecting  conjunction,  for,  showing  the 
dependance  of  the  text  on  the  context — [for  we  are  his  work- 
manship &c.;  yet,  strange  to  tell,  it  is  made  to  signify  that  the 
Ephesians,  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  were  crea- 
ted in  Christ  when  He  was  created. 

Besides,  this  text  has  many  synonyms,  some  of  which  I 
will  now  introduce:  'Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  hath  he  saved  us,  by 
the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,' 
Tit.  iii.  5.  This  means  precisely  the  same  as  though  the 
apostle  had  said  'not  by  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast; 
for  we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus,'  &c. 
This  is  the  circumcision  of  the  heart  without  hands — a  trans- 
lation from  nature's  darkness  into  the  marvellous  light — a  new 
creature  in  Christ  Jesus — a  new  man  who  after  God  is  created 
in  righteousness  and  true  holiness — being  born  again — born 
of  the  Spirit — asanctification  unto  obedience — a  sanctification 
of  the  spirit  unto  a  belief  of  the  truth — all  these  along  with 
the  text  under  consideration,  signify  the  same  thing — what  we 
term  the  work  of  grace  on  the  soul. 

I  have  tried  to  trace  out  the  serpentine  doctrine  of  Parker- 
ism  as  it  has  surreptitiously  connected  itself  with  the  foregoing 
texts — but,  snake-like,  it  has  its  coils,  flexures,  gyrations,  con- 
tortions, and  likewise  its  strong  holds,  covert  places  and  opeiv' 


138 


A  REFUTATION  OP  THE 


showings.  Sometimes  we  get  a  broken  glimpse  of  it,  and 
then  a  pretty  full  view.  Its  advocates  are,  however,  always 
afraid  of  a  full  showing,  they  prefer  showing,  occasionally, 
some  of  its  less  offensive  parts;  and  whenever,  through  incon- 
siderate zeal  or  imprudence,  they  bring  the  monster  fully  into 
view,  they  are  inclined  afterwards  to  disown  it.  An  instance 
of  this  kind  occurred  at  Barfield's,  Ridge  Meeting  House,  and 
with  an  Old  Baptist  Church  in  Missouri.  Besides,  a  zealous 
scribe  once  gave  such  a  correct  description  of  this  monster; 
that  he  fain  would  have  called  it  in;  but  as  it  came  from  one 
in  authority  it  was  published  verbatim  et  literatim. 

When  the  Waldenses  were  charged  with  this  heresy  they  re- 
garded the  charge  as  a  reproach  and  the  fruit  of  perse- 
cution. The  English  Baptists  forestalled  it  in  their  confes- 
sions of  faith;  and  the  Sequachee  Valley,  the  Fountain  Creek, 
Elk  River,  Stones  River  and  Round  Lick  Associations  have 
declared  a  non-fellowship  with  it.  It  cannot  exist  with  the 
Old  Baptists;  for  it  must  either  change  th(im,  or  form  a  sect. 
The  latter  will  be  done,  should  it  survive  its  separation  from 
the  old  order  of  Baptists. 

We  have  become  too  ultra  in  most  things.  How  great  the 
change.  Watchman!  what  of  the  night?  I  hear  one  res- 
pond, All  is  not  well! — another  that  strange  winds  are 
blowing — another,  that  the  sickly  dews  of  heresy  are 
falling  thickly  around  us,  many  are  sickly  and  weak — 
another,  that  the  sound  of  another  gospel  is  heard  in  our 
midst,  whereby  many  are  being  bewitched.  From  another 
quarter  I  hear  it  proclaimed  that  Old  Manichseanism,  which 
was  supposed  to  have  died  centuries  ago,  has  been  revived, 
through  the  heretical  skill  of  one  Daniel  Parker,  unto  almost 
youthful  vigor;  and  now,  with  more  than  a  hundred  tongues, 
propagates  his  poisonous  heathenism,  whereby  were  it  possi- 
ble, he  would  heathenize  the  old  order  of  Baptists;  but  O  thou 
perverter  of  truth,  thou  Polytheist,  thou  disturber  of  the  Lord's 
people,  thy  day  of  rebuke  has  come,  thy  native  darkness  is 
being  expelled,  and  although  thou  art  clothed  in  fancy's  gos- 
samer, wrought  with  cunning  craftiness  from  the  word  of 


MANICII^O  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


lit 


God,  yet  thy  deformities  still  appear.  Flee,  from  the  light 
of  truth;  for  in  it  thou  art  seen  a  Pagan  Monster.  Go  league 
thyself  with  Roman  or  Mormon  darkness,  where  thou  may- 
est  dwell  in  quiet,  until  thou  and  all  other  kindred  monsters 
shall  be  consumed  with  the  coming  brightness  of  truth! 

Something  new,  exclaims  a  watchman  in  another  direc- 
tion: Manichseanism  and  Arianism  have  formed  an  alliance. 
The  former  concedes  the  notion  that  Christ  was  created  in  His 
Divinity,  on  consideration  that  the  latter  will  admit  the  new 
tenet,  that  His  people  were  created  in  Him  when  He  Himself 
was  created!  Thus,  a  Manichseo-Arian  banner  of  Pagan  as- 
pect, has  been  raised  by  innovators.  Some  strong  men  have 
enlisted  under  it,  and  are  now  fighting  with  intemperate  zeal 
against  the  great  and  cherished  truth  of  Christ's  uncreated 
Divinity  and  Godhead,  and  against  the  great  and  hitherto  ac- 
knowledged principles  of  the  spiritual  regeneration  of  Adamic 
personalities. 

I  hear  something  of  heavenly  origin!  Listen:  "Though  we 
or  an  angel  from  heaven  preach  any  other  gospel  unto  you 
than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed." O,  Israel,  to  your  tents!  Gird  on  the  sword  of  the 
spirit!  Put  on  thewhole  armor  of  God.  Setup  the  way  marks, 
and,  in  holy  boldness  and  meekness,  defend  them  against  all 
heretical  defacers!  Ye!  whose  lips  have  been  touched  with  a 
live  coal  from  the  altar,  you,  unto  whom  the  Lord  has  said.  Go 
ye,  study  to  show  yourselves  approved  unto  God;  workmen 
that  need  not  be  ashamed,  rightly  divining  the  word  of  truth. 
Preach  the  word,  according  to  your  commission,  to  every  crea- 
ture within  the  scope  of  your  ministry — declare  the  precept  as 
well  as  the  doctrine — show  the  difference  between  works,  the 
obedience  of  faith,  and  works  without  faith.  Let  those  good 
works,  which  God  ordained  for  Christians  to  walk  in,  be  seen 
plainly  contradistinguished  from  the  works  of  a  soul  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins — the  great  difference  between  works  which 
are  the  fruit  of  the  spirit  and  those  the  fruit  of  the  flesh.  La- 
bor to  show  all  these  things  in  their  proper  places  and  con- 


140 


A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 


iiections.  But,  above  all  things,  avoid  those  prevailing  ul- 
traisms  which  are  now  eating  on  the  Old  Baptist  Church  as 
doth  a  canker — dividing  Churches  and  Associations,  and  dis- 
turbing the  order  and  peace  of  the  Baptists  generally.  Rebuke 
the  ultraist  whenever  you  meet  with  him — reclaim  or  reject 
him— let  him  be  treated  constantly  as  the  worst  enemy  of  the 
Baptist  of  the  present  day!  And  ye  hearers  of  the  word! 
receive  the  admonition; — it  came  from  heaven — be  ye  doers  of 
the  word,  and  not  hearers  only! 


RECAPITULATION. 


Although  the  following  truisms  have  already  been  set  forth, 
on  the  subject  of  the  origin  of  evil,  to  a  greater  or  less  extenty 
yet  we  wish  to  offer  them  once  more  to  the  consideration  of 
the  reader  in  a  more  concise  and  definite  form;  w-herein  they 
may  be  so.en  numerically  as  so  many  indubitable  verities  which 
cannot  be  refuted;  nor  even  denied  without  involving  the  dark 
sayings  of  Parkerism,  which  a  sinful  fancy  has  predicated  of 
imaginary  things,  exterior  to  God,  to  eternity,  creation  and 
revelation.  That  the  heathen,  according  to  his  mythology,  in 
his  vain  imaginings,  should  have  gone  beyond  The  True  God, 
in  setting  up  an  evil  spirit,  co  existent  and  antagonistic  to  a 
good  spirit,  is  not  so  very  surprising,  but  that  Christian  wor- 
shipers, amidst  the  burning  and  shining  lights  of  the  Bible, 
should  do  so,  is  not  only  a  matter  of  surprise,  but  verily  a 
confirmation  likewise  of  the  truth,  that  "Men  loved  darkness 
rather  than  light." 

1.  The  tenet  of  the  co-eternity  of  an  evil  spirit  with  God 
grossly  violates  the  great  truth,  that  God  did  entertain  the  di- 
vine plan  of  the  universe  from  everlasting,  and  did  arrange  all 
things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will  subjectiveh/,  when  there 
was  nothing  considered  objectively^  only  as  it  was  foreknown 
in  harmony  with  His  will  and  purpose,  wisdom  and  power. 

2.  The  co-eternity  of  such  a  spirit  with  God  would  necessa- 
rily have  affected  the  divine  plan  of  creation,  as  it  could  not 
have  been  arranged  independently  of  such  a  spirit.  Besides, 
there  would  then  have  been  two  first  causes!  independent  of 
each  other  in  their  existences,  and  opposed  to  each  other  in 


142 


RECAPITULATION. 


their  nature;  and  the  existence  of  such  a  spirit  would  have 
been  independent  of,  and  in  opposition  to,  the  will  and  power 
of  God! 

3.  The  Scriptures  affirm  plainly  and  conclusively,  that  God 
is  the  Creator  of  all  things,  and  that  He  is  before  all  things; 
CoL  i,  16,  17.  But  the  Parkerite  perversion  of  these  texts  is, 
that  God  is  before  all  things  except  the  devil! 

4.  Evil  either  had,  or  had  not,  a  beginning. 

5.  If  evil  had  not  a  beginning,  it  must  of  necessity  have  ex- 
isted from  everlasting,  as  the  quality  of  an  evil  spirit  self- ex- 
istent and  eternal;  which  notion,  we  have  just  seen,  is  contra- 
ry to  revealed  truth,  and  highly  derogatory  to  Divine  Glory. 

6.  Evil  had  a  beginning,  and  must  have  originated  with  cre- 
ated beings,  after  "the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished, 
and  ail  the  hosts  of  them." 

7.  Creation  necessarily  involved  a  beginning  and  a  state  of 
creatureship,  which  admitted  of  the  origination  of  evil,  through 
the  operation,  however,  of  secondary  causes,  yet  under  the 
permissive  providence  of  God,  which, — though  to  us  an  un- 
resolvable  problem, — partakes  no  less  of  His  wisdom,  power 
and  goodness  than  does  His  direct  providence;  for  all  evil  has 
its  foreknown  origin,  determinate  course,  fixed  bounds,  and 
certain  results. 

8.  Nor  do  we,  by  any  truth,  as  just  stated,  make  God  the 
author  of  sin;  for  as  "sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law" 
God  cannot  sin,  as  He  is  above  all  law  and  rule  of  government 
from  without,  but  is  a  law  unto  Himself ;  and  as  all  his  acts  take 
the  course  of  infinite  wisdom  and  perfection,  his  works  must 
be  far  above  finite  knowledge  and  comprehension,  and  pro- 
duce, as  secondary  causes,  mysterious  results,  which  finite  be- 
ings cannot  judge  rightly  of — only  by  faith.    Gen.  xviii,  25, 

9.  Finite  creatureship  necessarily  involved  a  law,  or  rule  of 
government,  from  without,  as  created  beings  could  not,  like 
God,  be  a  law  unto  themselves. 

10.  Neither  could  finite  creatures  be  created  immutable, — as 


EECAPirULATION. 


143 


immutability  belongs  only  to  God,  and  is  incommunicable;  the 
very  fact  that  their  states  required  a  rule  of  government  from 
without,  teaches  us  that  they  did  not  contain  in  themselves 
every  thing  necessary  for  their  well  being,  guidance  and  sin- 
less course;  or  an  external  government  would  not  have  been 
enjoined;  nor  would  any  penalty  have  been  annexed,  in  case 
of  a  transgression,  had  there  been  no  liabilities  to  disobedi- 
ence. The  very  fact  of  a  penalty  being  annexed,  implies  a 
liability  to  disobedience. 

11.  Had  the  condition  of  created  beings  been  above  all 
law,  and  had  admitted  of  immutability,  they  could  not  have 
sinned,  as  "sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law." 

12.  All  created  beings  were  subjected  to  the  government  of 
God,  and  in  their  free  agency,  mutability,  and  liabilities  to 
pride,  deception,  temptation  and  disobedience,  they  trans- 
gressed the  government  of  God.  and  thereby  sinned,  and  in- 
curred the  penalty  or  evil  of  sin;  for  be  it  remembered  that 
*'sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law,"  and  until  some  law  or 
rule  of  government  was  transgressed  there  was  no  sin,  nor 
evil  of  sin,  any  where, — there  only  existed  a  liability  to  such 
things,  on  the  part  of  finite  beings. 

13.  We  believe  that  sin  began  with ''the  angels  who  sinned" 
somewhere  in  the  created  heavens,  by  disobedience  to  a  law  of 
some  kind,  through  their  free  agency,  mutability  and  liability 
to  pride,  apart  from  any  tempting  evil  spirit  from  without;  and 
as  "sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law,"  they  must  have  been 
under  a  law,  which  they  transgressed. 

14.  We  believe  that  the  evil  of  the  sin  of  the  angels  soon 
reached  the  paradise  of  this  world  in  the  state  and  character 
of  Satan,  and  that  Eve,  through  deception,  yielded  to  his  in- 
fluence, and  transgressed  the  law  of  God,  and  then  involved 
Adam,  apart  from  direct  Satanic  power,  in  the  transgression; 
for  Adam  was  not  deceived,  either  by  Satan  or  Eve:  I.  Tim. 
ii,  14.  Here  we  see  the  commission  of  sin  on  the  part  of 
Adam  from  an  internal  personal  source,  and  not  from  an  ex- 
ternal one,  as  in  the  case  of  Eve.    Adam  was  not  deceived;  but 


144 


SECAPlTULATION, 


through  the  mutability  of  his  will  and  his  moral  free  agency 
he  willed  to  go  into  transgression  with  Eve;  he  had  more  re- 
gard for  her  than  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  and  partook 
of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  thereby  involved  himself  and  all 
his  posterity  in  the  evil  of  sin,  or  the  penalty  of  a  violation  of 
God's  law, 

15.  We  are  aware  that  we  have  taken  Adam's  transgression 
too  much  out  of  the  hands  of  the  devil  for  the  Parkerite;  but 
as  we  have  a  surer  word  of  prophecy  than  any  they  have  ad- 
duced, we  shall  abide  by  Moses  and  Paul's  testimony:  Gen. 
iii,  12:  1.  Tim.  ii,  14. 

16.  Observe,  had  none  of  God's  laws  been  transgressed, 
neither  by  "the  angels  who  sinned"  nor  by  Adam  and  Eve,  sin 
would  not  have  been  committed;  nor  would  we  have  known  or 
felt  the  penalties  of  aAdolation  of  God's  laws,  which  constitute 
the  evil  of  sin.  Thus  we  see  that  our  views  exempt  us  from 
the  charge  of  making  God  the  author  of  sin,  as  it  was  com- 
mitted in  opposition  to  his  commandments;  the  observance  of 
which  would  have  excluded  its  penalties — the  evils  of  sin. 

17.  Creation,  as  seen  in  the  Recapitulation,  did  not  admit  of 
creatures  being  endowed  with  immutahility ,  and,  therefore,  of 
necessity,  involved  a  mutable  state,  which  did  not  exclude  lia- 
bilities to  deception,  to  temptation,  to  pride,  and  transgression; 
or  there  would  have  been  no  necessity  for  subjecting  them  to 
a  law  or  rule  of  government;  and  had  there  been  no  liabiliticg 
to  a  violation  of  such  laws,  no  penalties  would  have  been 
annexed. 

18.  Notice,  all  creatures  were  created  good,  very  good  of 
their  kind,  but  not  in  a  state  to  be  a  law  unto  themselves, 
which  shows  that  there  was  something  within  them,  which  re- 
quired the  controlling  guidance  of  a  law,  or  rule  of  conduct 
from  without,  which  might,  through  the  free  agency  of  the 
creature,  as  connected  with  a  mutable  will,  be  violated. 

19.  The  exposition  of  sin,  and  its  consequent  evil,  as  given 
in  the  Bible,  should  be  closely  attended  to — that  '^sin  is  the 
transgression  of  the  law>"  whether  it  be  through  pride,  as  in 


RECAPITULATION.  ^^^^ 


145 


the  case  of  "the  angels  who  sinned,"  or  through  the 
beguiling  influence  of  Satan,  as  in  the  instance  of  Eve,  or 
from  regard  for  the  creature  as  in  the  case  of  Adam — sin  is- 
all  the  while  the  transgession  of  the  law;  and  the  penalties 
of  such  trangressions  constitute  the  evils  of  sin,  here  and 
elsewhere.  Then  sin  may  be  said  to  issue  from  the  defection 
of  the  creature,  through  his  mutability,  finitude  and  moral 
free  agency,  and  not  from  an  evil  spirit  co-eternal  with  God, 
and  the  evils  of  sin  are  the  punishments  inflicted  by  the  Lord, 
which  are  graduated,  controlled  and  directed  by  Him  to  pre- 
scribed issues. 

20  In  refutation  of  the  absurd  notion  of  the  Parkerite, 
that  one  part  of  the  human  family  has  derived  a  seed  fronL 
God,  and  the  other  from  the  devil,  and  that  this  difference 
obtains  between  men  and  men,  in  their  natural  state,  we 
have  only  to  refer  to  the  plain  texts,  1.  John  iii,  9:  I.  Pe.  i,  23: 
John  says,  "Whosoever  is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin, 
for  his  seed  remaineth  in  him;  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he 
is  born  of  God."  Born,  says  Peter,  "of  an  incorruptible  seed,"' 
which  is  derived  actually  from  Christ  at  the  time  of  the  new 
birth,  and  is  inwrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit — called  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ''a  new  man,"  "a  new  creature,"  &c.    Observe,  John 
says  this  seed  cannot  sin — cannot  be  corrupted  by  the  sin  of 
the  flesh,  by  the  temptations  of  the  devil,  nor  by  the  evil  course 
of  the  world.    How  different,  then,  is  this  seed  from  any 
thing  "the  angels  who  sinned"  had,  or  from  any  thing  with 
which  Adam  was  endowed  at  the  time  of  his  creation;  for 
with  all  his  high  moral  endowm.ents  he  took  the  downward 
course  of  disobedience,  transgression,  sin,  corruption  and 
death,  and  thereby  involved  all  his  posterity  in  the  same 
general  ruin.    But  the  incorruptible  seed  takes  through^  Christ 
the  upward  glorious  course  of  holiness,  incorruption,  and  eter- 
nal life.    Here  are  the  two  seeds  of  the  Bible,  very  different 
indeed  from  those  of  Parker. 

We  have  presented  a  score  of  aphoristical  truths  to  the^ 
consideration  of  our  brethren,  and  we  would,  with  kind  feel-- 
10 


146 


MANICH^O  PARKERITE  HERESY. 


ings,  say  to  our  Parkerite  respondents,  either  refate  them  or 
cease  caviling  at  them;  and  to  all  orthodox  Baptists,  that  a 
denial  of  the  proposition  that  evil  originated  with  created 
beings,  involves  the  Pagan  tenet  of  Parkerism,  the  co-eterni- 
ty of  two  opposite  beings,  and  the  existence  of  two  conflic- 
ting first  causes!  for  if  our  proposition  be  not  true,  then  evil 
must,  as  an  unavoidable  consequence,  have  proceeded  from 
an  eternal  evil  spirit,  co-existent  with  Godl 


-  #1' 


THE  PRESENT  STATE 

OF  THE 

OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY,  a 


For  the  full  elucidation  of  this  subject  it  would  be  neces- 
sary for  each  of  our  ministers  to  speak  for  himself- — to  relate 
his  experience  of  his  call  to  the  ministry,  tell  the  particulars 
of  that  event,  and  narrate  the  history  of  his  preaching  up 
to  the  present  time.  But  this  is  impracticable,  and  I  must  be 
content  to  treat  the  subject  in  a  general  way. — In  my  exege- 
sis I  shall  in  the  first  place  treat  of 

THE  PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  OLD   BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 

These  have  been  supposed  by  many  to  be  merely  acciden- 
tal or  affected,  but  I  shall  prove  most  conclusively  they  are 
not. — Preaching  the  gospel  is  essentially  different  from  all 
other  kinds  of  speaking  or  teaching.  The  literary  exegete 
can  teach  the  elements  of  literature  by  ordinary  methods; 
the  mathematician,  expound  his  problems  by  numbers  and 
calculations;  the  astronomer,  his  by  appropriate  rules;  but  the 
preacher  is  dependent  on  a  "demonstration  of  the  spirit"  for 
the  success  of  his  teaching.  Without  this,  revealed  truth, 
however  faithfully  declared,  and  skillfully,  expounded,  will  be 
"foolishness"  to  the  wordly  wise,  and  a  stumbling  block  to  the 
pharisee  ! 

Could  the  truths  of  the  gospel  be  demonstrated  by  the) 
lights  of  literature,  or  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  no  one  should 


148  THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 

attempt  to  preach  them  without  the  greatest  measure  there- 
of. Paul  repudiated  these  after  naming  them  by  three  diffe- 
rent terms,  the  "excellency  of  speech,"  the  "enticing  words  of 
speech,"  and  "the  wisdom  of  men."  And  yet  many  say  the 
gospel  cannot  be  preached  without  them!  1  Cor.  2,4.  They 
contend  when  the  subject  is  thus  laid  open,  that  the  Apostle 
was  an  inspired  preacher,  and  endowed  with  extraordinary 
gifts  of  the  spirit,  which  enabled  him  to  dispense  with  the 
learning  of  his  day,  denominated  by  him  "the  wisdom  of  men." 
A  careful  examination  of  the  subject  ought  to  convince  any 
candid  enquirer  of  the  fallacy  of  such  a  conclusion.  For  if  his 
plan,  as  historically  narrated  by  himself,  was  to  declare  the 
revealed  truths  of  the  gospel  only  and  not  to  know  anything 
else  "save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified,"  why  object  to  the 
same  mode  of  preaching  in  the  present  day? 

Modern  preachers  are  not,  as  was  Paul,  inspired,  but  if, 
of  the  right  kind,  they  have  the  "light  of  life,"  of  grace  and 
regeneration  in  their  souls,  and  consequently  a  spiritual  percep- 
tion of  the  things  pertaining  to  Christ  and  the  gospel;  which 
things  they  preach  like  Paul  not  with  excellency  of  speech  and 
wisdom  of  men,  but  with  "fear  and  trembling;"  and  like  Paul 
are  dependent  on  a  "demonstration  of  the  spirit"  for  the  suc- 
cess of  their  ministry,  termed  by  him  in  other  modes  of  ex- 
pression, an  opening  of  the  heart,  (Ac.  16,  14.,)  the  power 
and  assurance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  (1  Thess.  1,  5.,)  and  a 
shining  of  the  Holy  Spirit  into  the  heart.  2,  Cor.  4,  6. — With- 
out this  inward  demonstration,  heart-opening  and  heart-illu- 
mination, a  divine  and  not  a  human  work,  Paul's  preaching  as  an 
Apostle,  even  with  all  the  advantages  claimed  for  him  in  that 
respect,  did  not  amount  to  anything  more  in  a  spiritual  sense 
than  that  of  Christ's  true  ministers  of  the  present  day. — For 
his  preaching  without  a  "demonstration  of  the  spirit"  was 
"unto  the  Jews  a  stumbling  block"  and  "unto  the  Greeks  fool- 
ishness," and  a  hidden  word  to  them  that  perished. 

Now  therefore,  if  Paul,  who  was  both  learned  and  inspired, 
required,  for  the  essential  issue  of  his  ministry,  a  "demon- 

1 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


149 


stration  of  the  spirit,"  shall  modern  ministers  presume  to 
preach  successfully  without  it?  And  seeing  that  Paul  ignored 
"the  wisdom  of  men"  in  this  work,  shall  they  imitate  him  or 
not? — Here  is  a  point,  a  common  level  at  which  all  true  min- 
isters must  meet;  unless  forsooth,  it  can  be  proved  that  the 
apostles  did  open  the  hearts  of  their  hearers,  quicken  their 
souls,  and  make  the  gospel  the  power  of  God  unto  them. 
They  disclaim  all  such  spiritual  work.  Paul  acknowledged 
plainly  that  his  gospel  went  forth  to  some  "in  word  only," 
as  foolishness,  and  a  stumbling  block  to  others,  just  alas!  as 
often  do  the  words  of  our  preachers. 

If  "the  wisdom  of  men"  and  the  "excellency  of  speech" 
could  have  superceded  the  "demonstration  of  the  spirit"  they 
might  have  done  so  in  Paul's  ministry,  but  if  not  even  in  his  case, 
why  attach  so  much  importance  to  them  now?  Some  may 
even  yet  say  the  Apostles  could  work  miracles,  and  did  on 
that  account  dispense  with  ^'the  wisdom  of  this  world,"  in  their 
preaching;  but  we  learn  from  the  history  of  miracles,  that 
unsanctified  miracles  had  no  better  effect  on  the  hearts  of 
(  hirst's  enemies,  than  unsanctified  prea^ching.  The  Apostles 
were  then,  as  well  as  are  modern  preachers  now,  without  "a 
demonstration  of  the  spirit,"  "nothing!"  in  a  ministerial  sense. 
This  is  the  reason  why  Paul  said,  "Jsot  1,"  on  three  different 
occasions,  "but  the  grace  of  God  which  weis  with  me." 

The  grace  of  God  had  ministerially,  its  peculiar  method 
with  the  Patriarchs,  Prophets,  and  Apostles;  and  now  takes 
its  own  preordained  way  with  those  who  are  called  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  both  in  its  choice  of  them  and  its  power 
through  them,  constraining  them  as  it  did  Paul,  to  exclaim 
we  are  nothing.  In  no  instance  have  the  spiritual  works  of 
God  b®^^  wrought  by  any  but  Him.self!  Our  ministerial 
w^orks  appear  only  as  so  many  signs  or  wonders  of  the  way 
of  grace  among  men  on  earth! 

Suppose  a  person  was  called  as  Paul,  to  preach  the  gospel, 
having,  as  he  had,  great  learning  and  Esthetic  knowledge, 
^hall  he  ignore  them  as  did  Paul  or  not?    If  he  be  unlike  Paul 


150 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OP  THE 


unlearned,  shall  he  spend  years  at  classical  and  theological 
schools  to  the  neglect  of  his  ministry,  to  acquire  that  which 
Paul  repudiated  ?  surely  it  would  be  more  conformable  both 
to  precept  and  example  to  go  forth  in  '^weakness,  and  in  fear, 
and  in  much  trembling,"  declaring  the  revealed  truths  of  the 
gospel,  and  looking  in  faith  to  the  Lord  for  the  "demonstration 
of  the  spirit,"  than  to  spend  years  in  literary  institutions  to 
learn  other  things  *'save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified."  Shall 
we  excuse  Paul  for  not  employing  the  "excellency  of  speech,'* 
and  the  enticing  words  of  "men's  wisdom,"  who  was  able  to 
do  so,  and  then  condemn  those  who  cannot?  The  very  call- 
ing of  God  excludes  such  things;  and  accords  well  with  the 
present  state  of  the  Old  Baptist  Ministry,  giving  rise  to  pecu- 
liarities which  are  neither  accidental  or  affected,  as  some  re- 
proachfully suggest,  but  are  ministerial  characteristics  of 
their  "calling."  The  very  objections  which  are  so  unsparing- 
1-y  and  unfeelingly  urged  against  our  preachers  by  many,  prove 
their  calling  to  be  of  Godl 

How  often  do  we  hear  it  said,  there  are  so  few  learned  men 
among  them.  What  saith  the  scripture?  Not  many  wise 
men  after  the  flesh  are  called.  There  are  so  fevi^  great  men 
among  them.  What  saith  the  Scripture?  Not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble  are  called.  Still  worse,  they  say  there  are  so 
many  fools  among  them.  Let  the  Scripture  reply  again,  God 
hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the 
wise.  Rut  they  are  such  weak  preachers.  To  which  the 
scripture  replies,  God  bath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the 
world  to  confound  the  mighty.  Finally,  they  say  there  are 
some  so  base,  so  despisable,  and  some  who  cannot  possibly 
be  preachers.  Observe,  without  the  scripture  we  reply  not. 
Base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are  despised, 
hath  God  chosen,  yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to 
nought  things  that  are.  1  Cor.  1,  26,  27,  28.  What  a  com- 
mentary on  theological  schools  ! 

^  These  objections  which  are  entertained  of  by  so  many,  are 
quasi  objections  to  the  very  calling  of  God  itself  1    A  fact,  to 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


151 


which  I  would  call  the  attention  of  the  persecutors,  defamers, 
ridiculers  and  dispisers  of  the  Old  Baptist  preachers,  that 
they  may  escape  the  weighty  mill  stone  and  the  depth  of  the 
sea.    Mat.  18,  6.    Mark  9,  42,    Luke  17,  2. 

Christ  says,  (Mark  8,  28,)  '^Whosoever  therefore  shall  be 
ashamed  of  me,  and  of  my  words  in  this  adulterous  and  sin- 
ful generation ;  of  him  also  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  asham- 
ed, when  he  cometb  in  the  glory  of  the  Father  with  the  holy 
angles."  May  we  not  justly  fear  that  they  who  are  ashamed 
of  God's  'calling,'  and  object  so  sneeringly  to  it,  are  also 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  have  not  felt  in  their 
hearts  that  it  is  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God, 
unto  every  one  that  believes. 

If  the  present  state  of  our  ministry  be  plainly  and  unde- 
niably sanctioned  by  the  word  of  God,  why  so  much  com- 
plaint? such  unjust  reflections  ?  and  sinful  reproaches  ?  For 
the  want,  I  fear  of  circumcised  hearts,  and  religious  regard 
for  God's  method  of  calling.  And  if  the  characteristic 
peculiarities  of  the  Old  Baptist  ministers  are  plainly  set  forth 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  why  say,  they  are  accidental  or  affect- 
ed? Again  I  fear  for  the  want  of  reconciliation  to  God,  to  his 
word  and  to  his  people  ! 

If  the  things  to  be  taught  were  literary  propositions,  re- 
quiring recondite  researches,  then  learned  men  only  should 
be  employed  to  teach  them;  the  "excellency  of  speech"  would 
then  be  available;  or  if  they  were  problems  in  science,  then 
scientific  savans  only  could  explain  and  teach  them ;  the 
wisdom  of  men  would  then  be  indispensibly  necessary ; — but 
they  are  revealed  truths  to  be  declared  alike  by  the  learned 
and  the  unlearned,  the  wise  and  the  unwise,  and  prevail  only 
through  a  "demonstration  of  the  spirit."  Then  all  ministerial 
abilities,  agencies  and  labors  humanly  considered,  are  on  a 
common  level.  Between  man  and  man  there  is  no  dider- 
ence;  the  difference  is  of  God.  1  Cor.  4,  9.  A  missionary 
of  the  cross  must  not  glory  in  any  thing  else  but  the  cross; 
An  Ambassador  of  God  must  not  declare  any  message  but 


152 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


his  ;  which  is  not  one  of  genius,  learning  and  aesthetics,  but 
of  God!  If  the  weakest  of  the  weak  be  bibUcally  and 
spiritually  taught  "the  hidden  wisdom  of  God,"  such  knowledge 
raises  him  infinitely  higher  than  genius  or  learning  can  ever 
attain  He  will  speak  wisdom  among  them  that  are  perfect, 
yet  not  the  wisdom  of  this  world. 

The  dignity  and  character  of  God's  ministers  do  not  con- 
sist of  genius,  learning  and  aesthetics,  but  of  divine  endow- 
ments, which  verily  if  revilers  and  disclaimers  had  eyes  to 
see,  they  would  no  longer  call  them  ignorant  pretenders  or 
affected  bigots.  Their  true  character  and  dignity  are  not  seen 
and  appreciated  by  them;  for  if  they  were,  the  Apostle  says 
they  would  not  speak  of  them  in  that  way.  1  Cor.  2,  6.  God's 
peculiar  calling  excludes  all  boasting;  if  any  denomination 
were  to  boast  of  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  many  mighty, 
many  noble,  it  would  be  a  vain  boast  of  their  calling,  not  be- 
ing of  God,  or  at  least  not  in  agreement  with  the  method  of 
his  "calling."  We  do  not  set  forth  these  things  merely 
because  they  accord  so  strikingly  with  the  present  state  of  the 
Old  Baptist  ministry,  but  because  they  are  plainly  and  point- 
edly revealed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, — the  chapter  and  texts 
whereof  have  been  cited. 

How  many  preach  as  though  there  was  no  God  to  declare 
according  to  the  revelation  he  has  made  of  himself;  no  gos- 
pel revealing  a  Saviour ;  no  word  testifying  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  and  no  Bible  furnishing  all  things  necessary  to  be 
taught.  And  yet  such  claim  a  monopoly  of  all  that  is  worth 
preaching!  boasting  of  their  classical  attainments,  their 
theological  learning,  and  long  culture  of  the  schools.  They 
after  acquiring  all  their  boasted  knowledge,  shun  "to  declare 
all  the  counsel  of  God,"  and  seek  rather  to  please  men  than 
God. 

There  will  be  at  all  times,  as  in  the  prophet's  days,  those 
who  ran  and  were  not  called ;  prophesied,  and  were  not  sent 
b}^  the  Lord.  These  do  not  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  saints,  but  strive  earnestly  to  pervert 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


153 


the  very  faith  which  they  affect  to  preach.  They  are  strang- 
ers to  the  Cross,  strangers  to  an  inward  calling,  and  strang- 
ers to  a  spiritual  knowledge  of  divine  things;  without  the 
lights  of  grace,  without  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  and  without 
love  to  God  or  man ; — they  of  course  bring  contempt  and 
reproach  sooner  or  later  both  on  themselves  and  ourselves. 
Each  one  is  a 

"Wolf  in  the  clothing  of  the  gentle  lamb; 
Dark  traitor  in  Messiah's  holy  camp, 
Leper  in  saintly  garb,  assassin  masked 
In  virtue's  robe,  vile  hypocrite  accursed." 

Another  peculiarity  of  the  Old  Baptist  ministry  is,  that  of 
their  believing  in,  and  contending  for,  an  inward,  spiritual 
call  to  the  work  ot  the  ministry  more  decidedly  than  any 
other  denomination.  Some  read  this  doctrine  in  their  bibles 
and  then  reproach  us  for  believing  it.  They  contend  for 
an  external  fitness  in  things,  and  say  but  little  about  an  in- 
ward call  and  spiritual  qualification,  especially  if  they  con- 
flict with  outward  appearances  and  impediments.  An  in- 
ward call,  in  their  judgment,  should  accord  with  an  outward 
propriety.  Another  characteristic  of  theirs  is,  that  they  do 
not  attach  half  the  importance  to  human  learning  that  others 
do.  They,  and  they  only,  of  all  the  different  denominations 
assign  human  learning  its  proper  subordination  in  the  pulpit. 
They  teach  the  words  of  God,  and  not  the  words  of  men; 
knowing  that  they  "who  are  of  God  heareth  them"  and  they 
who  are  not  of  God  heareth  them  not.  John  8,  47.  Hence, 
when  their  message  is  rejected  they  know  the  cause  of  its 
rejection.  They  shape  their  ministry  by  the  bible,  which  in- 
volves many  things  highly  objectionable  to  many,  and  ex- 
cludes many  others  highly  esteemed  by  all  such. 

The  "calling"  of  God  has  very  little  respect  for  colleges, 
and  the  great  and  renowned  ones,  the  wise  and  the  prudent. 
The  "light  of  life,"  and  not  the  light  of  literature,  the  power 
of  God,  and  not  the  wisdom  of  men,  the  presence  of  Christ 
and  not  the  influence  of  "mighty"  ones, — are  the  efficients 
contemplated  in  the  divine  mind  in  calling  men  to  the  work 


154 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


of  the  ministry.  Yet,  the  Lord's  Servants,  for  the  want  of 
a  regular  education,  polished  manners,  and  a  spirit  of  com- 
promise, are  called,  "the  most  stupid,  sottish  and  despicable 
of  all  men  on  earth."  No  one  can  declare  the  strong  truths 
of  the  gospel  regardless  of  the  prejudices  and  opinions  of  the 
host  of  nominal  professors,  without  incurring  such  reproaches. 
Thus  indeed  were  God's  servants  anciently  spoken  of,  and 
even  the  Master  Himself  !  This  generation  in  its  opposition 
to  our  preachers,  employs  its  peculiar  words  of  reproach, 
which  however  have  metonyms  in  the  text  of  the  Apostle. 
1  Cor.  4,  13. 

The  religious  carnalite  does  not  want  a  better  subject  to 
break  a  jest  on;  the  collegiate  theologian  a  better  illustration  of 
stupidity;  and  the  man  of  "enticing  words,"  a  better  nullity, 
than  an  Old  Baptist  minister  affords.  Did  the  bible  de- 
clare as  plainly  for,  as  it  does  against  the  wisdom  of  men, 
who,  I  ask,  among  us  would  ever  dare  to  preach  again?  The 
great  savans  of  the  age  could  only  then  be  trusted.  The 
theological  learning  of  the  schools  would  then  be  necessary,  and 
mani/  wise  men,  mani/  mighty  and  mani/  noble  , would  then 
preach  authoritatively,  and  not  as  now,  surreptitiously.  And 
the  "weak,"  the  "foolish"  the  "despised,  '  the  "base,"  and  the 
nullities,  would  have  no  authority  to  enter  a  pulpit !  Such 
a  change  in  the  order  of  God's  ministry  on  earth,  would  make 
us  justly  obnoxious  to  the  reproachful  epithets  so  unmerci- 
fully and  perseveringly  heaped  upon  us.  As  it  would  invert 
the  order  of  God's  "callings,"  we  plead  not  guilty  !  How  ap- 
propriate are  th6  words  of  the  poet : 

"The  honest  seer  who  spoke  the  truth  of  God 
Plainly,  was  left  with  empty  wall ;  and  round 
The  frothy  orator  who  busked  his  tales 
In  quackish  pomp  of  noisy  words,  the  ear 
Tickling,  but  leaving  still  the  heart  unprobed, 
The  judgment  uninformed, — numbers  immense 
Flocked,  gaping  wide  with  passions  high  inflamed, 
And  on  their  way  returning  heated  home, 
Of  eloquence  and  not  of  truth  conversed; 
Mean  eloquence  that  wanted  sacred  truth." 


OLD  BAPTIST  MiyiSTRY. 


155 


A  very  decided  characteristic  of  theirs  is,  that  they  do  not 
gain  worldly  advantages  by  preaching,  but  suffer  loss;  neither 
does  a  large  salary  decide  the  field  of  labor  for  them,  as  it 
does  among  some  other  denominations.  They  for  the  most 
part  labor  with  their  own  hands,  and  ask  for  no  contributions 
except  those  which  their  brethren  are  willing,  unasked,  to 
give. 

Many  of  them  preach  for  three  or  four  churches  ;  they  work 
and  drudge  five  days  in  the  week  that  they  may  preach  two, 
often  with  but  little  prospect  of  temporal  reward.  They 
assume  no  relations  to  the  church  but  those  of  Pastor  and 
church,  and  never  aspire  to  ecclesiastical  lordliness  whereby 
they  may  become  '"Lords  over  God's  heritage."  Some  of  them 
after  a  call  to  the  ministry,  have  made  great  proficiency  in 
acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God ;  they  have 
studied  their  message  well;  and  under  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord  have  put  the  whole  inner  man  into  it,  not  wishing 
to  know  any  thing  "save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified." 
A  few  have  even  learned  to  read  and  write  after  experienc- 
ing a  call  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  afterwards  acquired 
a  fuller  and  better  knowledge  of  the  scriptures  than  many  who 
had  the  best  scholastic  advantages.  If  a  man  can  read  and 
write,  or  even  hear  the  reading  of  the  scriptures,  with  circum- 
cised ears,  he  can  learn  spiritually  more  about  Christ  and 
him  crucified  in  a  few  weeks,  than  the  unsanctified  and  un- 
called ever  can,  in  the  best  schools.  The  latter  may  learn 
more  of  the  history  and  literature  of  the  bible,  but  they  lack 
the  faculty  of  acquiring  a  spiritual  knowledge  of  the  gospel. 
I  will  cite  some  instances  of  the  former  kind  ;  the  case  of 
Bunyan,  Elisha  Cole,  W.  Huntingdon,  Joshua  Lawrence, 
Osborn,  McConnico,  and  many  others  As  the  hart  panteth 
after  the  water-brook,  so  did  their  souls  after  a  knowledge  of 
Christ;  and  if  I  were  to  judge  of  a  man's  calling,  I  should 
entertain  an  unfavorable  opinion,  did  he  not  study  to  show 
himself  approved  unto  God.  Grace  is  active ;  its  history  is 
one  of  activity,  diligence  and  suffering;  it  overcomes  all  diffi- 
culties ;  does  not  reason  about  things,  but  believes  and  works. 


156 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


After  all,  it  will  still  be  to  the  end  of  time  a  problem,  how 
a  man  can  preach  the  gospel  without  general  learning.  Tru- 
ly without  it  a  man  cannot  become  a  successful  "hireling,"  an 
archbishop,  or  an  efficient  pope.  They  are  of  the  world,  and 
must  speak  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  or  the  world  will  not  hear 
them.    1  John  4,  5. 

Faithful  preaching  will  elicit  the  sign  of  either  life  or  death; 
it  is  in  that  respect  fearfully  ominous.  2  Cor.  2,  16.  The 
plainer  the  preaching,  the  plainer  will  be  the  manisfestations 
of  life  or  death.  When  the  gospel  is  preached  with  the  ex- 
cellences of  speech  and  literature,  many  being  alive  to  such 
things,  though  dead  to  evangelical  truth,  mistake  their  sym- 
pathies for  them  for  a  love  of  the  gospel;  because  in  their 
estimation  the  gospel  cannot  be  preached  without  them. 
They  mistake  logical  deductions  from  assumed  premises,  fo^ 
a  "demonstration  of  the  Spirit;"  the  wisdom  of  men,  for  the 
power  of  God;  and  their  regard  for  such  things,  for  a  desire  for 
the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  this  proves  that  they  have  "itching" 
instead  of  "circumcised  ears;  that  they  are  "way  side"  hearers 
instead  of  honest  hearted  hearers;  that  they  are  "carnally" 
and  not  "spiritually  minded." 

The  best  argument  which  can  be  adduced  by  men  or  angels 
for  the  truth  of  scripture  is,  that  God  hath  spoken  it;  which 
should  be  more  a  matter  of  faith  than  of  logical  inference  ! 
When  sown  only  in  the  light  of  reason  by  the  "way  side  ' 
none  retain  it;  when  on  "stony  ground"  in  the  fullest  light  of 
"the  wisdom  of  this  world"  the  ''dead  in  trespresses  and 
sins"  have  not  eyes  strong  enough  to  see  it;  the  "good 
ground"  must  be  both  given  and  cultivated  by  the  Great  "Hus- 
bandman" in  order  that  its  fruit  may  ripen  to  perfection. — • 
Mat.  13,  3.    1  Cor.  3,  6,  7. 

In  conclusion  of  this  part  of  my  subject,  f  will  state  another 
peculiarity  of  theirs, — they  never  prepare  their  sermons  by 
writing  them  out,  nor  by  taking  notes  for  the  pulpit.  Their  ex- 
temporizations are  peculiar  to  themselves;  they  preach  often 
from  the  same  text,  but,  never  the  same  sermon!    Their  ser- 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


157 


mons  areas  much  varied  on  such  occasions  as  though  they  had 
not  taken  the  same  text.  Some  suppose  that  their  indecision 
as  to  what  text  they  will  take,  continuing  up  to  the  hour  of 
preaching,  is  affected  and  not  real,  but  this  is  a  misconception. 
They  have  read,  searched  and  studied  their  message  so 
thoroughly,  that  they  can  preach  from  one  text  about  as  well  as 
another,  provided  it  has  a  spiritual  bearing  upon  their  minds. 
This  is  the  secret  of  text-taking  with  them;  which  of  course, 
is  not  appreciated  by  the  "carnally  minded."  This  brings  me 
to  the  consideration  of  another  characterism  of  theirs, 

THEY    PREACH    MORE  DIVINITY    THAN    THOSE  OF    ALL  OTHER  DENOM- 
INATIONS. 

This  is  abroad,  proposition  but  fortunately  admits  of  proof. 
Observe,  the  proposition  is  not  that  they  preach  more  of  the  lit- 
erature of  the  bible,  more  of  its  history,  and  more  of  its  wordly 
appendages  than  others  do,  but  more  of  its  divinity: — Of  the  reve- 
lation which  God  has  made  of  himself  as  The  Father,  The  Son, 
and  The  Holy  Ghost;  of  man,  of  his  salvation,  of  time  and 
eternity.  All  other  preachers  with  a  few  exceptions  are 
Arminians;  their  gospel  leaves  out  the  sovereignty  of  God,  his 
full  foreknowledge;  his  election,  for  instance,  according  to  it; 
also  his  predestination  as  revealed  in  agreement  with  it.  In  no 
less  degree  does  it  ignore  the  personal  election  of  the  saints,  as 
plainly  taught  by  Christ  and  his  apostles;  of  their  effectual  call- 
ing; their  full  justification  by  faith  in  Christ,  and  their  final  perse- 
verance through  the  power  of  God;  the  doctrine  of  imputed 
righteousness;  and  the  proper  subjects  and  mode  of  baptism, 
as  well  as  many  other  essential  tenets.  Neither  the  wisest 
of  men  or  greatest  of  angels  can  preach  the  gospel,  and 
leave  out  these  revealed  truths!  constituting  as  they  do  the 
foundation  of  the  Prophets  and  Apostles.  They  had  as  well 
attennpt  to  solve  a  problem  in  mathematics  without  numbers 
or  calculations;  or  teach  a  science  without  its  fundamental 
truths.  Who,  besides  the  Old  Order  of  Baptists  "declare 
all  the  counsel  of  God?"  The  modern  mode  of  preaching 
is  not  to  suppress  the  bible  entirely,  at  do  the  Catholics,  but 


158 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OT  THE 


in  part,  especially  the  revelations,  which  give  offence  to  the 
world;  in  this  way,  they  humanize  the  revelations  of  the 
bible,  and  their  humanizations  take  in  their  pulpits,  the  place 
of  divinity!  "They  teach  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of 
men;  the  prudence  of  men  for  the  foreknowledge  of  God; 
the  sovereignty  of  man's  will  for  the  immutability  of  God's; 
the  choice  of  the  creature  for  the  election  of  God;  the  free 
agency  of  the  creature  for  the  power  of  God;  the  deeds  of 
the  law  for  the  work  of  Grace;  the  reformation  of  man  for  the 
work  of  Christ;  salvation  in  part  by  man  for  complete  salva- 
tion by  Christ.  Now  therefore,  by  thus  exalting  human  pru- 
dence, powers,  agencies,  and  works,  and  giving  them  in  their 
doctrine  the  place  of  the  attributes  of  God,  they  humanize  the 
bible  itself! — The  divine  prescience  in  their  expositions  is  a 
human  uncertainty!  personal  election  of  the  saints  before  the 
world  began,  a  time  contingency!  the  inward  calling  of  God, 
often  a  failure;  the  perseverance  of  the  saints,  a  human  un- 
certainty! 

It  is  true  they  teach  that  there  is  a  God,  but  a  God  without 
a  "determinate"  counsel  and  foreknowledge  as  the  Scrip- 
tures teach;  a  God  without  an  election  according  to  his  fore- 
knowledge; a  God  without  a  sovereign  will;  a  God  without 
grace  before  the  world  began;  a  God  who  does  not  work  all 
things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will.  This  is  not  the 
God  of  the  Bible,  nor  his  revealed  Divinity. 

The  Bible  reveals,  in  divine  agreement,  the  foreknowledge 
and  election  of  God ;  his  election  as  personal  and  sure,  and 
not  general  and  contingent,  his  calling  in  divine  accord  with 
his  predestination;  his  justification,  a  fruit  exclusively  of  the 
work  of  Christ. 

How  can  any  declare  the  divinity  of  the  Father  without 
preaching  his  "determinate"  counsel  and  foreknowledge,  his 
will,  his  purposes,  his  immutability;  by  leaving  them  out  his 
his  proper  divinity  would  not  be  taught. — How  can  w^c 
preach  the  divinity  of  the  Son  without  preaching  Saints  were 
chosen  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world?  that  the/ 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


were  blessed  in  Him  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  divine  ac- 
cordance with  their  election?  that  they  were  given  to  the  Son 
by  the  Father?  that  he  died  for  their  sins?  that  he  arose  for 
their  justification? — Or  how  preach  the  divinity  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  without  testifying  of  his  divine  work?  Or  how  de-  " 
clare  this  work  without  its  divine  relation  to  the  work  of  the 
Son  and  the  election  of  the  Father? — The  work  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  accords  with  what  the  Father  has  done,  and  with  what 
the  Son  has  done  in  man's  redemption.  The  divinity  of  the 
Father  then  accords  with  the  divinity  of  the  Son,  and  the  divin- 
ity of  the  Son,  with  the  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  hence, 
the  Three  Persons  in  the  Godhead  are  One  in  Divinity. 
They  are  One  in  fore  knowledge.  One  in  election,  One  in  re- 
demption. One  in  calling.  The  divinity  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
practically  excluded  in  the  doctrine  of  many;  they  say 
Christ  has  done  all  things  which  were  purposed  by  the  Father; 
and  it  now  only  remains  for  the  creature  in  his  free  agency, 
by  some  assistance  from  the  Holy  Spirit — measured  according 
to  the  degree  of  arminianism — to  employ  "the  things  of 
Christ,"  saying  in  their  doctrine  that  free  will  and  free  agen- 
cy can  do  the  very  thing  which  God  is  said  to  perform  in  the 
person  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Christ  who,  of  free  will  and  free 
agency^  is  made  unto  us  redemption  says  this  doctrine,  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  Apostle  who  says,  Christ  wlio  of  God  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption. 
1  Cor.  1.  30.  The  "dead  in  trespasses  and  sins"  can  no  more 
co-operate  in  this  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  than  they  could  have 
co-operated,  in  the  predestination  of  the  Father,  or  the  atone- 
ment by  the  Son.  The  sovereign  and  divine  will,  the  eternal 
purpose,  and  personal  election  of  Saints,  are  as  fully  main- 
tained in  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  in  that  of  the  Father 
or  Son.  Any  other  doctrine  would  obscure  his  divinity  and 
Godhead;  and  yet  this  is  constantly  done  by  Arminians. 

They  who  leave  these  things  out  of  their  ministry,  preach 
another  gospel;  which,  however,  is  not  another  but  merely  a 
human  system,  without  the  divinity  of  the  Bible.    Such  sys- 


160 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


terns  in  many  places  become  more  and  more  popular  just  as 
they  exclude  the  sayings  ot  Prophets,  of  Christ  and  his  apostles. 
The  more  the  Bible  is  humanized,  the  greater  will  be  the 
world's  sympathy  for  such  systems;  the  more  its  strong  truths 
are  modified,  the  better  will  they  be  received;  and  when  its  di- 
vinity is  reduced  to  a  level  with  humanity,  men  of  the  world 
think  more  highly  of  it. 

A  host  of  preachers  shun  to  declare  the  divinity  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  yet  maintain  the  character  of  gospel  preachers- 
God  revealed  in  the  gospel  constitutes  its  divinity — the  reve- 
lations of  a  Triune  God;  without  God  there  is  no  gospel, 
without  the  divine  prescience  and  election  there  is  no  God  of 
the  Bible;  and  without  preaching  the  doctrine  of  the  old  or- 
der of  Baptists,  the  divinity  of  the  Bible  cannot  be  taught. 

There  are  many  who  shamefully  and  wilfulh'^  ignore  the  dis- 
pleasing truths  of  the  gospel;  in  that  way,  they  seek  to  please 
men  and  not  God;  while  such  preaching  plainly  confirms  the 
truth,  that  the  things  highly  displeasing  to  God,  are  pleasing 
to  men,  and  those  highly  regarded  by  the  Lord,  are  but  little 
esteemed  by  men.  Lu.  16,  15.  Much  of  the  divinity  of  the 
Bible  is  suppressed  in  this  way ;  but  the  old  order  of  Baptists 
shun  not  to  declare  the  truths  shunned  by  others.  This  is 
the  cause  of  our  preachers  %;being  so  much  despised  and  op- 
posed. They  cannot  be  popular,  nor  their  doctrine  approved 
as  long  as  they  preach  the  divinity  of  the  Bible;  for  few  are 
chosen. 

They,  and  they  only,  with  a  few  exceptions,  declare  "all 
the  counsel  of  God"  in  regard  to  the  state  of  the  unregener- 
ate;  the  revealed  truths  concerning  them  fall  harshly  on  their 
uncircumcised  ears;  these  they  preach  unglossed,  as  the  reve- 
lation which  God  has  made  concerning  man.  They  teach 
that  sin  entered  by  one  man,  and  death  by  sin,  and  that  Ad- 
am's sin  and  death  were  imputed  to  all  his  posterity,  and 
that  as  sin  hath  reigned  unto  death  by  one  man,  so  does  grace 
reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life  by  one  Jesus 
Christ.    Rom.  5,  17,  6  30. 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY.  161 

They  declare  also  the  unaltered  texts  of  the  Bible  on  the 
subject  of  baptism,  the  Lord's  supper,  feet  washing  and  church 
government. 

Believing  that  I  have  proven  my  proposition,  broad  as  it  is, 
without  stating  the  one  hundredth  part  of  proof,  that  the  Old 
Baptist  Ministers  preach  more  divinity  than  those  of  all 
other  denominations,  I  will  now  confess  that  I  am  not  unmind- 
ful of  some  of  their 

Ministerial  Deviations. 

The  scriptural  relations  between  pastor  and  church  is  not 
regarded  by  us  as  it  should  be.  Our  ministers  do  not  leach 
the  churches  their  duties  towards  themselves.  Human  pride 
constrains  them  to  shun  to  declare  the  counsel  of  God  on  the 
subject;  because  so  many  are  preaching  at  fixed  rates  per 
sermon,  per  month,  or  per  year,  they  forego  their  just  rights, 
as  ordained  of  God,  rather  than  seem  like  such  are.  These 
have  not  only  caused  the  way  of  truth  to  be  evil  spoken  of, 
but  our  ministers  to  deviate  from  the  line  of  duty.  The 
plain  commandments  and  exhortations  of  the  Lord  have  been 
left  unpreached,  until  some  of  our  churches — judging  from 
their  conduct — have  forgotten  that  these  duties  are  enjoined  in 
their  Bibles.  This  deviation  is  mutual;  it  is  difficult  to  say 
which  party  is  most  blameable;  one  fails  to  teach  and  exhort, 
and  the  other  to  perform.  When  the  Word  of  God  is  plainly, 
faithfully  and  frequently  preached,  it  will  bring  forth  fruit  in 
circumcised  hearts.  Mat.  13.  The  gross  and  palpable  ne- 
glect of  pastors  in  teaching  their  flocks  the  plain  precepts  of 
the  Bible,  revealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  recorded  by  the 
Evangelists  for  their  benefit,  is  the  cause  of  so  little  fruit  from 
that  division  of  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  abounding  to  the  credit 
of  our  churches.  This  must  be  the  cause,  unless  they  have 
not  "ears  to  hear,''  when  they  are  taught !  But  there  are  sure- 
ly doers  of  the  Word  in  our  churches ;  all  are  not  hearers  only ; 
it  would  be  uncharitable  to  complain  exclusively  of  the 
churches ;  the  pastors  are  equally  blameable.  If  aH  hearts- 
U 


162 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


are  under  the  dominion  of  mammon,  and  none  under  grace, 
then  and  then  only  can  all  be  hearers  only,  and  none  doers  of 
the  Word,  No  fruit,  this  being  the  case,  can  abound  to  the 
credit  of  the  church  or  advantage  of  the  minister,  however 
faithfully  he  may  declare  all  the  counsel  of  God  on  this  sub- 
ject. This  relation  betw^een  pastor  and  church  is  every  where 
violated,  at  least  in  degree.  Where,  in  Tennessee,  or  in  the 
U.  States,  is  a  pastor  who  faithfully  and  constantly  preaches 
the  duties  of  the  church  to  her  pastor;  or  the  church  that  fully 
and  perseveringly  discharges  her  duty  toward  her  pastor? 
Let  him  and  her  report  themselves ;  but  observe,  the  excep- 
tions will  not  be  admitted  merely  on  account  of  what  they 
may  have  done,  unless  the  work  accords  with  the  precepts 
and  examples  of  the  N.  T.  Such  an  instance,  I  fear,  cannot 
Idc  reported. 

How  appropriate  and  necessary  is  the  interchange  of  spirit- 
xial  and  temporal  things,  as  instituted  by  the  Lord,  between 
the  pastor  and  church.  This  temporal  relation  is  lost!  I  will 
mot  merely  refer  to  the  texts  in  point,  but  quote  them.  "Even 
so  hath  the  Lord  ordained,  that  they  who  preach  the  gospel 
should  live  of  the  gospel."  "For  it  is  written  in  the  law  of 
Moses,  thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  mouth  of  the  ox  that  tread- 
eth  out  the  corn — but  he  that  plougheth  should  plough  in 
hope,  and  he  that  thresheth  in  hope  should  be  partaker  of  his 
hope."  "Who  feedeth  a  flock  and  eateth  not  of  the  milk  of 
the  flock"?  These  texts  have  died  away  from  our  pulpits  like 
the  obsolete  words  of  our  language,  and  are  forgotten  by  the 
churches.  I  admit,  under  some  peculiar  circumstances,  the 
preacher  has  a  right  to  decline  his  rights,  and  to  ''suffer  all 
things"  lest  he  "should  hinder  the  gospel  of  Christ."  But,  ob- 
serve, he  has  no  right  to  shun  this  part  of  the  message  of  God 
to  the  churches  in  his  preaching.  Alas  !  are  our  churches  in 
such  a  mammonic  state,  that  their  pastors  cannot  insist  on  their 
just  scriptural  claims  without  hindering  the  gospel  of  Christ? 
Is  the  gospel  hindered  by  covetousness  ?  which  is  idolatry  or 
nvorship  of  mammon?    Let  us  see.    Many  of  our  worthy 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


163 


preachers  are  thus  gagged  and  muzzled  while  sowing  spiritual 
things;  they  get  not  the  ''carnal  things,"  or  the  "milk  of  the 
flock"  as  ordained  by  the  Lord.  Nor  can  he  with  safety  de- 
mand them  !  The  pastor  "sows"  the  spiritual  things  on  which 
the  church  must  feed,  in  holy  agreement  with  the  command- 
ment, "feed  the  church  of  God,"  but  the  church  withholds  her 
*-carnal  things,"  which,  we  may  justly  fear,  have  become  in 
her  hands  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  even  covetous- 
ness,  which  is  idolatry!  The  preacher  does  not  become  a 
beggar  until  his  demands  transcend  his  scriptural  rights^  nor 
a  hireling,  until  his  w^ages  exceed  bible  rights.  While  de- 
fending and  maintaining  his  just  pastoral  rights,  he  is  no  beggar, 
cap  in  hand,  beseeching  his  brethren  for  some  poor  pittance  or 
other,  but  a  dignified,  independent  asserter  of  his  just  claims, 
and  should  be  so  regarded  by  all  w-ho  have  ears  to  hear  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord,  or  a  heart  to  practise  them.  How 
many  debts  of  this  kind,  with  accumulated  interest,  rest  at 
this  time  as  so  many  dark  spots,  on  many  of  our  churches ! 
Their  payment  would  loosen  many  pastoral  hands  that  are 
toiling  five  days  in  the  week,  without  time  for  reading  or  study, 
to  preach  two !  Many  hearts  that  are  now  burdened  almost 
beyond  endurance  under  a  sense  of  the  neglect  of  brethren, 
w^ould  be  made  joyful;  the  w^ay  of  pastoral  duty  would  no 
longer  be  the  way  of  domestic  loss  and  neglect!  The  only" 
time  which  many  of  our  preachers  have  to  read  and  study  the 
Word  of  God,  is  after  a  hard  day's  work,  when  they  should  be 
asleep!  If  they  neglect  to  provide  for  their  families,  they  are 
accounted  worse  than  infidels ;  and  if  they  do  not  study  to  show 
themselves  approved,  they  are  badly  received.  What  straits! 
and  how  little  regarded !  Many  w^orthy  pastors  are  in  this 
condition,  and  many  brethren  who  seem  otherwise  worthy, 
appear  not  to  have  eyes  to  see  this  state  of  things — the  fruit  of 
their  reprehensible  neglect.  To  all  such  I  am  constrained  to 
say,— go  read  the  9th  chapter  of  1  Cor.,  read  the  entire  chap- 
ter, read  it  attentively,  and  if  you  can,  after  its  perusal,  lay 
the  holy  volume  down  with  a  good  conscience,  unless  in  pau- 
per circums^tances,  you  must  be  either  a  worshipper  of  mam- 


164  THE  PRESENT  STATE  OP  THE 

raon,  and  not  of  God,  or  a  reader,  and  not  a  doer  of  tbe  Wordf 
Let  none  suppose  that  1  am  contending  for  my  own  advantage 
in  these  things,  far  from  it;  I  have  never  received  any  thing 
of  the  kind  from  any  church  or  people,  nor  will  I  do  so  while 
blessed  temporarily  as  I  am  at  present;  but  should  this  state 
of  things  cease,  I  will  then  institute  a  personal  plea.  Nor  do 
I  make  these  remarks  boastingly,  but  to  show  my  disinterest- 
edness in  those  which  I  have  made  in  behalf  of  others. 

Whenever  a  church  receives  of  her  own  free  will  and  choice 
a  pastor,  she  brings  herself  under  scriptural  obligations  to 
him,  and  it  is  as  much  her  duty,  in  degree  at  least,  to 
render  unto  him  "carnal  things"  as  it  is  his  to  sow  "spiritual 
things  for  her  benefit."  This  obligation  is  mutual,  and 
extends  in  like  manner  to  all  gospel  preachers  and  honest 
hearted  hearers.  When  a  pastor's  ministry  is  hindered,  or  in 
any  way  embarrassed  for  the  want  of  "carnal  things,"  has  he 
not  aright  to  demand  them  of  his  flock;  and  if  he  has,  should 
the  church  complain  when  such  demands  are  urged  in  a  right 
spirit,  and  holy  accord  with  the  precepts  of  the  Word  of  God? 
The  New  Testament  has  no  fixed  rates,  but  only  plain  pre- 
cepts; gospel  charity,  which  is  love,  will  assess  high  rates; 
covetousness,  which  is  idolatry,  low  ones,  if  any  at  all — per- 
haps reproaches  only,  should  these  just  claims  be  demanded. 
This  unscriptural  gag  must  be  resisted,  before  the  muzzle  will 
be  taken  off.  Preachers  must  speak  out  on  this  subject,  not 
on  their  own  authority,  but  on  the  Lord's ;  not  in  their  own 
words,  but  in  the  plain  strong  ones  of  the  Bible ;  not  as  re- 
ligious beggars  of  the  day,  but  as  faithful  pastors.  The  cor- 
rection of  this  error,  now  causing  so  many  hearts  to  mourn, 
must  after  all,  begin  in  the  pulpit,  which  I  affirm  can  be  done 
if  there  be  grace  among  the  hearers.    Isa.  55-11.    Ac.  16-4. 

Some  of  our  churches  are  small  and  the  brethren  poor  in 
this  world's  goods,  and  are  not  able  to  contribute  much,  yet 
they  are  for  the  most  part  able  to  pay  their  pastoral  debts ;  for 
where  these  are  equally  borne  by  the  members  of  the  church, 
they  do  not  amount  to  much;  but  the  misfortune  is,  these  con- 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


165 


tiibutions  are  made  only  by  a  few — a  few  only  seem  to  dis- 
charge this  duty,  and  consequently  it  is  both  unequal  and  dis- 
couraging. This  subject  requires  plain  dealing  and  a  thorough 
opening,  such  as  it  seldom  gets.  Our  ministers  must  take  up 
the  cross  and  declare  all  the  counsel  of  God  on  the  subject: 
What  if  the  churches  do  complain  and  reproach?  Their  com- 
mission admits  of  no  such  contingency.  Shall  they  become 
enemies  because  the  truth,  and  the  whole  truth,  is  preached? 
When  a  deep  and  painful  sense  of  neglect  of  the  church  is  en- 
tertained by  the  pastor,  let  him  ask  his  own  suffering  heart 
the  question, — -have  I  zealously  and  prayerfully  expounded 
to  her  those  duties,  the  neglect  of  which  now,  on  her  part, 
both  pains  me  at  heart,  and  falls  with  domestic  w^eight  on  my 
own  family? 

Ministers  cannot  excuse  themselves  by  saying  the  brethren 
can  read  their  duties  in  their  Bibles,  and  there  is  no  necessity 
for  preaching  them;  for  in  that  way  may  they  excuse  them- 
selves for  not  preaching  any  other  truths  therein  recorded. 

Occasionally  a  circular  letter  written  on  the  subject  has  ap- 
peared in  the  Minutes  of  our  Associations ,  but  they  have  been 
utterly  disregarded. 

Ma.ny  w^ortli}^  men,  honestly  entertaining  the  "Woe  unto 
me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel,"  prefer  hard  work,  drudgery  or 
what  not  in  that  way,  to  calling  on  the  flock  of  their  care  for 
help!  They  know  from  bitter  experience,  if  help  be  given 
this  week,  it  may  be  withheld  the  next !  If  given  with  "a 
right  spirit''  one  time,  it  may  come  grudgingly  the  nevt,  they 
fear  their  feelings  may  be  hurt,  and  forego  their  just  rights 
rather  than  assert  them.  The  pastor's  duty  is  to  preach  for 
the  church  weekly  or  monthly,  and  if  he  fails  to  do  so,  without 
a  good  excuse,  they  charge  him,  and  correctly  too,  with  a  ne- 
glect of  duty,  and  were  he  to  continue  to  neglect  his  duty, 
they  might  justly  deal  with  him;  but,  observe,  the  church  fails 
to  perform  her  weekly,  or  monthly  duties,  which  she  owes  to* 
her  pastor,  from  week  to  week,  month  to  month,  or  year  to 
year,  and  yet  she  must  not  be  exhorted,  reproved,  nor  dealt 


166 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


with.  The  church  perceives,  in  such  an  instance,  the  mote^ 
but  does  not  discern  the  beam !  She  sees  the  mote  of  one 
failure  on  the  part  of  her  pastor,  but  not  the  beam  of  many 
years  indebtedness ! 

The  manner  of  performing  acceptable  services  of  this  kind 
is  sometimes  very  exceptionable.  A  discharge  of  such  obliga- 
tions may  be  attended  by  such  remarks  and  insinuations,  as  to 
give  offence  to  the  pastor,  and  even  cause  him  to  prefer  neglect 
itself  to  such  trials.  Besides,  some  soon  become  weary  of 
well  doing;  they  give  one  month,  and  none  the  next,  or  per- 
form their  duty  one  year,  but  neglect  it  the  next;  raise  expec- 
tations at  one  time,  and  disappoint  the  next.  Just  about  the 
time  he  begins  to  believe  that  the  church  will  do  her  duty,  and 
thereby  give  him  an  opportunity  of  reading,  studying  and 
preaching,  as  he  should,  he  is  sadly  disappointed,  by  their  un- 
expected neglect. 

In  view  of  such  neglect,  might  we  not  ask  how  can  they 
preach  at  all?  Did  we  not  know  they  entertain  honest  senti- 
ments, which  triumph  over  worldly  wants,  church  neglects,  and 
wicked  reproaches.  Having  food  and  raiment,  they  deter- 
mine to  be  therewith  content ;  and  that  their  hands  shall  ad- 
minister to  their  necessities.  Thus,  in  painful  neglect  of  their 
afflicted  and  distressed  families,  they  go  forth  with  a  full 
ministry  at  heart;  it  wants  and  must  have  utterance  at  all 
hazards.  In  this  way  they  sometimes  fulfil  their  ministry  ! 
Their  painful  solicitude  for  and  acute  sympathy  with,  their 
families  render  them  truly  unhappy  at  such  times.  Their 
sighs,  groans  and  tears  are  embittered  still  more  by  their  un- 
avoidable absence  ;  an  absence  which  brings  to  the  distressed 
soul  a  remembrance  of  the  reflections  and  complainings  of  their 
wives  and  children.  They  had  said  in  his  hearing  how  can 
a  good  and  pious  husband,  a  good  and  provident  father, 
thus  desert  his  wife  and  children?  They  know  not,  they  feci 
not  the  crying  woe  in  the  souls  of  such,  and  cannot  make  the 
.iiiecessary  allowances. 

T-  The  burdened  heart  of  the  minister  suffers  and  grogbns 
-^between  two  scorching  fires — ministerial  and  domestic  duties. 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY.  ^        :         .  10 

those  dollars  of  thine,  brother,  and  other  things  so  un- 
justly withheld  from  him  from  time  to  time,  cry  unto  the  Lord 
of  Sabaoth  against  you.    Isa.  5,  4. 

It  is  Saturday — your  preacher  is  coming;  he  is  alone 
and  looks  thoughtful.  His  gait  is  quite  determined  by  the 
horse  he  rides,  which  shows  signs  of  recent  release  from 
gear.  He  is  unshaved,  his  cloths  are  soiled,  the  dust  of  the 
plough  is  still  cleaving  to  his  hands,  and  that  of  the  furrow 
to  his  feet.  As  he  approaches  behold,  his  brow  is  heavy  and 
his  countenance  anxious.  Fierce  conflicts  are  going  on 
within;  his  bosom  is  swelling  with  inward  woes.  Woe  unto 
me  if  I  preach  not  the  gospel — woe  unto  me  if  I  provide  not 
for  my  famil}^  Woe  mingles  woe  with  woe  until  the  heart 
of  humanity  fails;  another  strangely  takes  its  place  !  and 
seems  to  straggle  for  a  deliverance  from  earthly  cares — it 
triumphs.  He  enters  the  pulpit,  he  believes,  he  prays,  he 
preaches ;  the  sacred  theme,  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  is  on 
his  heart,  bible  truths  flow  from  his  lips,  the  world  recedes, 
the  pain  of  neglect  subsides,  the  state  of  his  family  is  for- 
gotten, the  gospel  is  preached  and  the  answer  of  a  good  con- 
science obtained.  Outward  circumstances  are  nothing.  The 
inner  man,  and  inner  invisible  power  are  all  in  all.  A  power 
that  demands  faith  and  not  erudition,  subserviency  and  not 
help,  a  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  not  a  demonstration  of 
the  spirit.  Although  he  has  not  the  outward  title  of  D.  D., 
yet  he  has  the  inward  seal  of  the  Holy  Spirit :  and  in  his 
soul  there  is  a  light ;  '-The  light  of  life,"  when  compared  with 
which,  all  worldly  wisdom  is  darkness  !  He  is  heaven's  gift, 
"the  messenger  of  truth,"  "The  legate  of  the  skies,"  God's 
Ambassador  on  earth;  and  yet  how  few  appreciate  or  under- 
stand him  or  his  message  !  He  is  the  sower  of  the  good  seed, 
the  tender  of  the  flock  and  the  overseer  of  the  church,  and 
the  servant  of  all.  Finnally,  he  holds  on  his  way  through  all 
trials,  discouragements  and  neglects,  knowing  that  his  re- 
ward is  with  God  in  heaven,  and  not  with  men  on  earth ! 

The  origin  of  another  ministerial  deviation  may  be  traced 


168 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


to  this  reprehensible  neglect  of  pastors  ;  they  have  to  provid© 
for  themselves  and  families  by  almost  unremitting  labor  and 
have  but  little  time  for  reading  and  studying  the  holy  scrip- 
tures, and  consequently  confine  themselves  to  too  few  texts. 
These  they  quote  in  confirmation  of  all  their  sermons,  until 
they  have  become  stereotyped  in  their  discourses  and  almost  in 
the  minds  of  their  hearers.  These  texts  generally  relate 
to  doctrine  and  experience ;  these  they  must  of  necessity 
learn.  In  this  way  practical  duties  and  exhortations  are 
sometimes  measurably  excluded  from  our  pulpits.  A  greater 
variety  of  doctrinal,  experimental  and  practical  texts  should 
be  studied  and  quoted. 

But  the  v^^orst  deviation  of  all  is,  that  of  our  not  exhorting 
both  saint  and  sinner  as  enjoined  in  the  word  of  God.  A 
gospel  without  exhortations  may  not  be  "another  gospel"  but 
it  is  not  a  full  one;  it  would  want  many  things  which  the 
Lord  has  ordained  for  the  good  of  his  people.  Our  cold  doc- 
trinal, non-exhorting  way  of  preaching,  has  doubtless  already 
produced  bad  results.  Who  in  the  present  day  exhorts  the 
brethren  ''with  many  words"  in  regard  to  christian  duties. 
Ac.  15,  32.  Paul  employed  "much  exhortation"  we  only  a 
little  !  Who  among  us  exhorts  the  gainsayers  ?  Titus  1 ,  9. 
We  have  rather  "forgotten"  the  exhortations.  Who  among 
us  ever  repeat  the  words,  repent  ye — Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  without  mixing  up  the  strong  doctrine  of  re- 
pentance and  faith  with  the  exhortation?  If  the  texts  be 
used  at  all,  we  employ  them  only'in  a  doctrinal  and  not  an 
exhortatory  way.  We  have  lost  both  the  spirit  and  words  of 
exhortation.  The  very  exhortatious,  admonitions,  warnings 
and  threatenings  of  the  bible  itself,  when  repeated  from  our 
pulpits  are  regarded  by  some  ultraists  as  Arminianism.  At 
least  it  v/ouldbe  very  difficult  for  any  one  to  preach  them  in 
their  scriptural  fullness  without  incurring  the  charge  or  re- 
proach of  Arminianism. 

The  very  way  of  grace  and  mercy  is  to  blend  exhortation 
.and  admonitions  with  the  commandments.    God  is  a  sover- 


OLD  BAPTIST  MDflSTY. 


169 


eign,  and  could  have  given  his  commands  without  them  ;  but 
as  a  God  of  mercy  he  commands  and  then  exhorts,  he  exhorts 
and  then  admonishes,  he  admonishes  and  then  warns.  A 
stern  ruler  may  give  absolute  orders  without  admonition  or 
warning,  relying  entirely  on  his  authority  to  command ;  but 
the  Lord  does  not  thus  deal  with  us ;  his  way  is  a  way  of 
Fatherly  love ;  he  commands,  and  then  in  mercy  exhorts  and 
warns.  How  great  is  the  grace  of  exhrotation !  Shall  the 
minister  suppress  this  mercy  and  grace  in  the  pulpit;  shall  he 
deny  it  utterance  there?  j\"ow,  brethren,  I  have  come  to  the 
strong  point,  an  undeniable  truth,  has  not  God  joined  the  ex- 
hortations with  the  commandments?  And  how  dare  we 
preach  one  without  the  other?  Vse  have  become  too  sensitive, 
and  are  not  willing  to  suffer  among  brethren  for  the  truth's 
eake. 

Some  do  not  object  if  believers  only  be  exhorted,  but  con- 
tend it  is  wrong  to  exhort  the  impenitent  sinner  to  repent, 
or  the  unbeliever  to  believe!  because  the  doctrine  of  repen- 
tance and  faith  is  that  they  are  both  the  gifts  of  God  Has 
not  the  Lord  ordained  the  preaching  of  his  word  to  that  very 
end?    Rom.  10,  8,  15. 

The  minister  must  look  by  faith  beyond  the  exhortation 
^'repent  ye,"  "believe"  and  the  like,  to  God  who  only  can  give 
these  blessings.  The  bow  is  drawn  and  arrow  shot  at  a  -'per- 
adventure."  This  kind  of  preaching  with  faith  in  the  prom- 
ises of  God,  excludes  all  Arminianism.  They  become  Arminian 
only  when  we  disconnect  them  from  the  excellency  of  divine 
power;  or  may  expect  them  to  take  any  other  effectual  way  than 
that  of  God's  purpose  and  election.  Our  ministerial  call  cannot 
rise  higher  than  an  if,  or  perad venture.  Ac.  IG,  14,  2  Thess. 
2,  13.  2  Tim.  2,  25.  Oar  not  exhorting  sinners  to  repent 
and  believe  is  a  gross  deviation  from  the  gospel  rule,  and  a 
palpable  perversion  of  the  great  commission  under  which 
we  preach.  Let  us  pursue  the  revealed  method  of  God,  and 
not  the  assumed  one  which  we  now  follow.  If  ultraist,  in  their 
blindness,  call  us  Arminians,  let  us  bear  it  for  the  truth's  sake. 


170 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


We  had  better  suffer  ourselves  than  deviate  from  our  com- 
mission. I  know  I  shall  have  to  dispute  every  inch  of 
ground  here;  that  many  are  ready  to  catch  at  my  words,  and 
dispute  all  I  may  write;  therefore  I  appeal  "to  the  law  and 
to  the  testimony."  How  did  the  baptist  preach?  "Re- 
pent ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  To  whom 
were  these  words  addressed?  to  the  penitent  or  impenitent? 
To  the  impenitent  of  course.  Who  gave  repentance?  The 
Lord.  How  did  Christ?  "Repent  ye  and  believe  the  gospel. 
How  did  the  Twelve?  "They  went  out  and  [^preached  that 
men  should  repent ! 

What  do  we  learn  from  the  sacred  history  of  preaching? 
Peter  preached  repentance  to  the  great  congregation  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  and  to  the  multitude  in  the  Temple  saying  '  're- 
pent ye."  Did  not  Paul,  in  declaring  the  unknown  God  to  the 
Athenians,  say  that  He  "comraandeth  all  men  every  where 
to  repent" — to  all  men,  every  where  is  the  commandment  "to 
repent."    Peter  exhorted  even  the  wicked  Simon  to  repent. 

When  these  plain  and  undeniable  texts  are  quoted,  showing 
the  proper  method  of  preacliing,  some  evade  their  force  by  saying 
they  apply  to  the  church  or  believers  exclusively; — that  they 
are  special  and  notgeneral.  In  their  doctrinal  exposition  of  them 
they  exalt  the  preacher,  and  make  him  act  the  part  which  the 
Lord  only  performs.  The  Lord's  inward  calling  never  fails 
"by  the  way  side,"  as  does  three  parts  of  the  sower  of  the 
seed,  the  word  of  God.  This  inward  calling  does  not,  like 
the  outward  call,  admit  of  excuses.  Luke  14.  Our  preach- 
ing is  "to  every  creature,  the  application  is  to  the  elect,  our 
sowing  is  broad  cast,  the  Lord's  only  on  "good  ground."  Our 
preaching  is  to  all  in  faith  and  in  word  only,"  the  Lord's  work  is 
a  sanctification  of  the  spirit  unto  a  belief  of  it,  on  the  part  of 
those  chosen  unto  salvation  from  the  beginning.  %  Thess.  2, 
13.  This  is  not  only  a  deviation  from  the  scriptural  plan  of 
preaching,  but  a  vain  presumption,  aiming  at  specialities,  which 
belong  only  to  God.    Who  can  tell  who  are  the  elect  of  God, 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


17! 


until  they  see  their  general  call  or  preaching  taking  the  way  of 
God's  election  as  did  Paul?    1  Thess.  1,  4,  5. 

Were  all  of  John's  hearers  converted  before  he  said,  "repent 
ye?"  Were  those  repenting  and  believing  to  whom  Christ 
preached  repentance  and  faith  ?  Were  those  addressed  by 
the  Twelve?  Were  the  Athenians?  What  was  Simon's 
state?  Were  those  "quickened"  who  were  bidden  and  re- 
fused to  come  to  the  feast? — These  questions,  when  properly 
answered,  show  most  conclusively  that  we  should  preach  re- 
pentance towards  God  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
"to  every  creature" — to  "all  men  every  where."  If  we  say 
our  preaching  is  to  the  called  of  the  Lord,  and  to  them  only, 
and  make  no  distinction  between  the  many  called  and  the 
few  chosen,  we  will  involve  the  tenet  of  universalism.  For  if 
we  preach  only  to  the  "quickened,"  all  must  be  in  that  state, 
as  our  commission  and  work  embraces  "every  creature." 
The  commission  includes  those  who  believe  not,  as  subjects 
of  our  address,  as  plainly  as  those  who  believe.    Mark  16.  16. 

Has  the  Lord  no  message  for  his  people  who  are  yet  un- 
bought?  John  10,  16.  Is  there  no  violated  law  to  be  pro- 
claimed to  them;  No  commandment,  to  repent;  No  exhortation 
to  do  so;  No  declaration  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 
No  gospel  promises  to  be  proclaimed  to  them.  The'objection 
is  that  all  such  are  "dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  and  that  we 
^iriovj  not  who  they  are,  and  even  if  we  did, our  preaching  would 
not  reach  their  state.  But  our  preaching  does  in  one  sense,  when 
"we  preach  to  all  unregenerated  persons  alike,  for  with  us  there 
are  no  evidences  of  distinction,  we  do  so  in  faith,  believing 
that  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his;  hence,  our  commis- 
sion includes  "every  creature,"  but  the  calling  of  the  Lord, 
the  chosen  few.  Shall  we  presumptuously  close  this  part  of 
our  ministry  against  the  "other  sheep,"  which  Christ  said  he 
must  also  bring.  We  know  them  not,  but  our  commission  em- 
braces them,  as  fully  as  though  we  did,  provided  we  address 
'.'every  creature,"  "all  men  every  where"  alike  in  a  state  of 


172 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


unregeneracy.  Assuredly  our  preaching  to  them  is  in 
holy  accordance  with  The  Purpose,  which  included  both 
the  preaching  and  the  blessing.  1  Cor.  1,  21.  Their  connex- 
ion with  each  other  involves,  in  the  plainest  manner,  the 
duty  of  preaching  to  every  creature  "repentance  toward 
God,  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  The  Lord  has 
ordained  this  way;  our  violation  of  it  in  the  19th  century  will 
not  cause  it  to  fail;  others  will  do  the  work;  it  needs  must 
be  done;  and  this  may  be  the  cause  why  so  few  are  coming 
into  our  churches!  We  have  violated  our  commission.  "Let 
us  search  and  try  our  ways,  and  turn  again  to  the  Lord."  .-j 

Let  us  preach  to  the  "many"  as  well  as  to  the  "few;"  take 
encouragement  and  call  upon  "all  men  every  where  to  re- 
pent;" and  exhort  them  to  do  so  with  that  zeal  which  con- 
strained Paul  to  "persuade  men."  Let  us  constantly  declare 
that  "all  things  are  now  ready"  both  on  the  high  places,  and 
among  the  hedges,  lanes  and  ditches.  What  if  hearers  make 
excuses,  that  does  not  invalidate  our  commission,  it  only 
shows  its  practical  agreement  with  former  results.  Are  we 
ashamed  to  labor,  to  "compel"  them  to  come  in,  as  did  ancient 
servants?  But  the  objection  is,  that  we  cannot  "persuade"  or 
"compel"  them  to  come  in;  and  therefore  it  would  be  Armin- 
ianism  to  preach  in  that  way.  What,  Arminianism  to  do  the 
very  things  which  the  Lord  has  commanded?  If  these  things 
be  performed  with  a  reliance  on  human  ability,  and  not  ex- 
clusively by  faith  in  the  power  of  the  Lord,  then  Arminianism  v 
would  be  involved,  but  not  without. 

This  violation  of  our  commission  has  engendered  a  spirit  of 
coldness  and  indifference  about  those  yet  unbrought;  by  some 
they  are  not  cared  for,  prayed  for,  nor  preached  unto;  this 
spirit  in  like  manner  extends  to  the  "babes'  in  Christ,  the  sheep, 
and  the  sheep  only  are  fed ; — Let  us  examine  our  commission 
again  and  search  out  the  things  therein  included.  What  are 
they?  "To  feed  the  Church  of  God,"  to  "feed"  the  sheep,  to 
^'feed"  the  lambs,  to  "preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.'' 
Who  dare  erase  any  of  these  items  from  his  message,  or  neg- 


OLD  BAPTIST  MINISTRY. 


led  any  of  them,  seeing  that  it  is  the  Lord  who  has  spoken 
them !  The  word  of  God  should  both  bind  and  direct  all  the 
Lord's  servants,  called  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

The  work  of  the  ministry  is  a  great  one  and  has  respect  to 
the  ingathering  of  unbrought  ones,  as  well  as  the  edifying  of 
those  already  brought.  The  most  of  our  preachers  are  good 
sheep  feeders,  and  in  that  way  will  often  preach  more  divini- 
ty in  one  sermon  than  many  Arminians  do  in  all  the  course  of 
their  lives !  They  know  how  to  feed  and  manage  the  strong, 
but  are  generally  bad  nurses,  indifferent  ''hunters"  and  un- 
skillful "fishers."  The  "babes,"  the  ''weak,"  the  sickly"  too 
often  suffer  in  their  hands ;  and  the  unbrought  have  no  gospel 
door  opened  to  them;  they  stand  without,  unbidden,  unex- 
horted  and  unpersuaded  ! 

Suppose  a  rich  man  was  to  make  a  great  feast  of  meats,  of 
marrow  and  fatness,  of  milk,  of  wine  well  refined  on  the  lees, 
and  of  cordials;  and  were  to  invite  all  the  families  and 
strangers  around  to  attend.  There  would  be  meat  and  wine 
for  the  strong,  milk  for  babes,  wine  for  the  weak,  and  cordials 
for  the  sick — nothing  would  be  wanting.  But  awhile  after- 
wards another  rich  man,  in  imitation  of  the  first,  makes  a 
feast,  and  invites  in  like  manner  all  the  families  around  him; 
they  come  at  his  bidding  with  their  children,  sick  and  strang- 
ers, but  he  has  provided  nothing  but  meat  for  all  the  variety 
of  guests.  The  adults|eat  and  are  satisfied;  but  the  children 
cry,  and  there  is  no  milk  for  them;  the  weak  complain,  but 
there  is  no  wine ;  the  sickly  suffer,  but  there  are  no  cordials ; 
the  strangers  stand  off,  and  there  is  no  invitation  given  to 
them ! 

To  continue  the  illustration — sometimes  the  meats,  wines, 
milk  and  cordials  are  so  mixed  up  in  the  preparation,  that 
none  can  eat.  I  shall  not  stop  to  apply,  the  application  can 
be  readily  made. 

Whenever  one  of  our  ministers  ventures  to  call  on  sinners 
to  repent  and  believe  the  gospel,  he  begins  directly  afterwards 
to  explain  by  preaching  the  strong  doctrine  of  repentance,  in- 


174 


THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE 


stead  of  following  up  the  commandment,  with  the  exhortations, 
warnings  and  threatenings  of  the  Bible  as  he  should,  in  con- 
formity with  the  divine  method.  His  aim  or  desire  seems  to 
be  rather  to  convince  his  brethren  that  he  is  not  an  Arminian, 
than  to  exhort  sinners  to  repent ! 

When  we  compare  our  ministry  with  that  ordained  of  God, 
we  discover  another  palpable  and  grievous  practical  deviation: 
Practical  Godliness  is  not  preached  as  fully  and  as  constantly 
as  the  Word  of  God  enjoins;  but  as  this  subject  is  elsewhere 
treated  of  in  this  work;  I  will  add  no  more  here. 

These  deviations,  great,  grievous  and  palpable  as  they  are, 
do  not  disprove  my  proposition,  that  the  Old  Baptist  ministers 
preach  more  Divinity  than  those  of  all  other  denominations.  With 
their  acknowledged  deviations,  omissions  and  faults,  they 
compare  more  favorably  with  the  ministerial  characteristics  of 
the  Bible,  than  all  others.  The  general  difference  is,  that  we 
have  omitted  a  part,  without  changing  any  thing,  while  they 
have  not  only  omitted  many  things,  but  also  changed  many ! 

What,  in  conclusion,  shall  I  say  ?  What  saith  the  Scrip- 
tures? They  have  already  spoken,  and  what  more  can  I  add? 
Only  a  prayer  that  their  truths  may  prevail  over  the  hearts  of 
those  who  deviate  from  gospel  rules  in  preaching — that  the 
lost  call  unto  them  that  are  without  may  be  found ;  that  the 
spirit  of  exhortation  so  long  quenched,  may  revive ;  that  the 
literal  door  of  the  Gospel,  so  long  closed,  maybe  opened; 
that  practical  godliness,  too  much  neglected  in  our  pulpits  and 
lives,  may  be  taught  and  maintained ;  and  that  we  may  all  be 
right  willing  to  work  faithfully  in  our  ministry,  even  at  a  *'per- 
adventure,"  "that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of  Godj 
-and  not  of  us," 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


As  some  have  perverted  the  subject  of  practical  godliness, 
by  wresting  it  from  its  vital  connections  with  the  doctrine  of 
Sovereign  Grace,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  show  how  complete- 
ly it  is  therein  included,  and  how  greatly  they  have  erred. 
They  say  that  our  doctrine  does  not  involve  good  w^orks,  but 
rather  furnishes  a  plea  for  the  neglect  of  them !  But  I  will 
prove  that  the  efficient  cause  of  all  Godliness  is  excluded  by 
their  tenets,  and  embraced  only  by  ours.  And  as  our  brethren 
can  only  be  reached,  in  their  neglect  of  practical  duties, 
through  their  favorite  texts,  I  must  obtain  a  door  of  access  to 
them,  by  giving  an  exposition  of  all  such  portions  of  Holy 
Scripture. 

Revealed  truths,  christian  experience,  and  practical  religion, 
are  involved  both  literally  and  spiritually  in  divine  agreement 
with  each  other;  maintaining,  both  in  the  Word  of  God,  and 
in  the  renewed  heart,  an  inviolable  relation  to  each  other — - 
a  relation  which  cannot  be  broken  without  perverting  the 
Word  of  God,  and  wounding  the  conscience  of  the  believer. 
Nor  can  one  of  them  be  taught  to  the  neglect  of  the  others, 
without  injury.  Therefore,  whenever  doctrine  has  been  pur- 
sued in  the  letter  to  the  neglect  of  experimental  and  practical 
truths,  hurtful  ultraisms  have  been  engendered,  such  as  Anti- 
nomianism,  Parkerism  and  their  various  modifications.  In 
like  manner,  the  truths  of  christian  experience  have  been  ob- 
scured by  human  fallacies,  and  practical  duties  brought  down 
on  a  level  with  Arminian  works. 

The  great  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace,  should  not  be 
taught  without  its  transforming  power  on  the  soul,  nor  that 


176 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


without  its  practical  results.  The  Prophet,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  Evangelist,  have  left  this  subject  amidst  burn- 
ing and  shining  lights,  by  which  it  may  be  seen  in  its  threefold 
fulness  by  all  who  "have  eyes  to  see."  But  the  misfortune  is, 
"no  literal  light  is  strong  enough  for  the  blind."  Hence,  the 
plainest  Bible  truths  are  so  often  perverted.  I  can  only  show 
the  subject  of  practical  godliness  as  revealed  in  the  Bible,  and 
prayerfully  leave  the  issue  with  Him,  who  only  can  "open  the 
eyes  of  the  blind," 

The  constant  but  erroneous  saying,  that  our  expositions  of 
the  doctrine  of  grace,  election,  and  salvation  exclusively  by 
Jesus  Christ,  does  not  embrace  good  works,  but  furnishes  mo- 
tives for  the  neglect  of  them,  is  more  a  consequence  of  an  irre- 
conciliation  of  heart  to,  than  a  correct  understanding  of  them. 
The  attention  of  the  reader  is  particularly  called  to  this  sub- 
ject; let  him  bear  in  mind  constantly  the  two  propositions, — 
that  our  doctrine  furnishes,  even  in  the  fallen,  dead  and  sinful 
soul  of  man,  a  sure  foundation  for  good  works ;  and  that  the 
Armini an  creeds  exclude  it.  The  practical  duties  enjoined  in 
the  Bible,  denominated  "good  works,"  have  not  only  a  heaven- 
ly prospect,  but  also  a  sublime  retrospect.  They  look  forward 
to  h(5aven,  whither  they  have  sent  up  their  memorials,  and 
back  to  their  divine  source  in  God — in  his  fore-ordination  and 
election. 

Divine  grace  in  taking  the  sublime  way  of  salvation  by 
Jesus  Christ  according  to  the  foreknowledge  and  election  of 
God,  The  Father,  not  only  includes  practical  godliness  in  the 
letter  of  its  doctrine,  but  likewise  in  the  power  of  its  spirit. 
It  not  only  teaches  that  man  must  be  created  anew  in  Christ 
Jesus  unto  good  works  before  he  can  do  them,  but  performs 
the  "workmanship"  itself;  it  not  only  teaches  that  man  must 
have  a  new  heart  before  he  can  do  "good  works,"  but  also 
gives  the  "new  heart,"  with  which  to  perform  them.  With- 
out this  "workmanship,"  or  "new  heart"  none  could  become, 
or  live  holy.  In  this  way  grace  excludes,  both  in  its  doctrine 
and  in  its  work,  all  those  Arminian  co-operations  which  con- 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 

stitute  the  basis  of  that  creed.  They  in  their  doctrine  refer  a 
work  to  tree  will,  and  free  agency,  which  the  Apostle  ascribes 
to  God  Himself.  "Christ"  says,  he  "Who  of  God  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemp- 
tion"; but  "Christ"  say  they  "who  of  our  free  will  and  free 
AGENCY  is  made  unto  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and 
redemption." 

To  confound  spiritual  and  natural  things,  divine  and  human 
agencies,  cause  and  effect,  grace  and  works,  life  and  death, 
love  and  enmity,  salvation  by  Christ  alone,  and  by  man  in 
degree,  is  as  absurd  in  a  religious  sense,  as  to  teach  in  philos- 
ophy that  the  action  of  light  is  promoted  by  darkness;  in  dy- 
namics that  one  force  is  increased  by  the  opposition  of  an- 
other; or  in  physiology  that  death  promoted  life  !  Can  death 
give  life?  Sin  produce  holiness  ?  Enmity  beget  love ?  Con- 
demnation bring  forth  justification?  Or  clay  do  the  work  of 
the  potter  ?  ^ 

"Go  bid  the  winter  cease  to  chill  the  year, 
Replace  the  wandering  comet  in  his  sphere, 
Then  boast,  but  wait  for  the  unhoped  for  hour, 
The  self-restoring  arm  of  human  power." 

When  these  shall  have  been  done^  then  may  our  opponents 
boast  and  reproach  our  doctrine,  but  until  then,  we  shall  re- 
gard it  as  the  revelation  of  that  grace  which  only  can  endow 
men  with  the  ability,  "both  to  will  and  to  do." 

The  Arminian  tenet  is  that  grace  is  given  to  all  men,  and  by 
a  proper  use  of  it  they  may  save  themselves  through  Christ,  or 
by  a  neglect  of  it,  fail  to  do  so.  What  kind  of  co-operation 
is  this  on  the  part  of  the  creature?  Who  has  defined  it?  In 
what  does  it  consist?  It  is  the  help  of  death  toward  life! 
The  help  of  sin  in  the  way  of  holiness!  The  helping  of  a 
circumcision  without  hands,  with  hands!  Impenitence  helping 
the  act  of  repentance!  unbelief  aiding  the  spirit  in  the  gift 
of  faith!  and  human  power  assisting  divine  power  in  perse- 
verance. But  on  the  contrary,  we  may  learn  from  the  word 
12 


178 


PRACTICAL  GODLIXESS. 


of  God  that  the  gift  of  life  is  fall  and  complete;  bestowed  in 
consideration  of  what  Christ  and  not  the  creature  has  done 
so,  in  like  manner  may  we  affirm  of  repentance,  faith  and 
perseverance.  Is  there  any  division  of  merit  between  Christ 
and  the  creature?  Is  there  any  division  of  power  between 
God  and  man  in  this  spiritual  work?  When  spiritual  life  is  giv- 
en, we  manifest  the  signs  of  spiritual  life,  we  breathe,  cry 
mourn,  hungerand  thirst  spiritually;  when  repentance  is  given, 
we  "bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance;  when  faith  is  giv- 
en we  "believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;"  and  when  we  are  kept 
by  the  power  of  God,  we  persevere.  And  those  who  are 
"created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works"  will  perform  them, 
in  agreement  with  the  ordination  of  God,  and  the  controling 
influence  of  grace,  as  put  forth  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit^ 
and  the  merciful  exhortations,  admonitions  and  warnings  of 
the  word  of  God.  Grace  has  words  of  mercy  as  well  as 
power  of  regeneration.    But  more  of  this  hereafter. 

To  show  that  we  are  not  alone  in  our  doctrinal  views  on 
the  subject  of  practical  godliness,  I  will  quote  the  following 
from  Prof.  Eadie's  commentary  on  Paul's  letter  to  the  Ephe- 
sians:  "Christ  Jesus  is  the  scene  of  creation,  or  through  vital 
union  with  Hitn  men  are  formed  anew^,  and  the  spiritual 
change  that  passes  over  them  has  its  best  emblem  and  most  ex- 
pressive name  in  the  physical  creation,  when  out  of  chaos 
sprang  light,  harmony,  beauty  and  life.  The  object  of  this 
spiritual  creation  in  Christ  is  declared  to  be  —  Epi  ergois 
agathois — in  order  to  good  woiks.  Our  entire  renovation,  while 
it  is  of  God  in  its  origin,  and  Christ  as  its  medium,  has  good 
works  /br  its  object.  These  works  are  good  as  they  spring 
out  of  a  "clean  heart,"  which  God  has  created,  and  out  of  the 
"right  spirit"  which  he  has  renewed.  God  for  his  son's  sake, 
and  because  they  are  the  product  of  his  own  grace,  regards 
them  with  complacency. 

Now  as  already  intim.ated,  we  understand  this  verse  [Eph. 
2,  10.,]  as  a  proof  that  salvation  is  not  of  works.  For  1.  The 
statement  that  salvation  is  of  works,  involves  an  anachronism. 


i^RACTlCAL  GODLINESS. 


Works  in  order  to  procure  salvation  mnst  pj^ecede  it,  but  the 
good  works  described  by  the  apostles  come  after  it,  for  they 
only  appear  after  a  man  livesj  believes,  and  is  in  Christ.  2. 
The  statement  that  salvation  is  of  works,  involves  the  fallacy 
of  mistaking  the  effect  for  the  cause.  Good  works  are  not 
the  cause  of  salvation;  they  are  only  the  result  of  it.  Salva- 
tion causes  them;  they  do  not  cause  it.  It  is  the  workman- 
ship of  God— this  creation  in  Christ  Jesus,  which  is  their  true 
source,  and  these  preparatory  means,  imply  a  previous  salva- 
tion. This  runs  well  with  the  confessional  formula— bona 
opera  non  proecedunt  justificandum,  sed  sequntur  justifica- 
tum.  The  law  says,  "Do  this  and  live;"  but  the  gospel  says, 
*'Live  and  do  this."  *  *  *  *  These  good  v/orks,  though  they 
do  not  secure  salvation,  are  by  God's  eternal  purpose,  essen- 
tially connected  with  it,  and  are  not  a  mere  offshoot  acciden- 
tally united  to  it.  *  ^  ^  Works  cannot  impart  any  element 
to  faith,  as  they  are  not  of  the  same  nature  with  it.  The 
saving  power  of  faith  consists  in,  its  acceptance  and  continued 
possession  of  God's  salvation.  Works  only  prove  that  the 
faith  we  have  is  a  saving  faith." 

The  way  of  God  in  man  must  be  a  way  of  holiness,  how 
marvelous  is  his  work  !  how  sublime  the  doctrine  of  practical 
godliness  I — I  knew  a  man  many  years  ago,  who  began  pro- 
fessional life  hopefully  and  joyfully ;  many  were  his  friends; 
bright  were  his  prospects,  and  the  world's  crowning  glories 
were  in  hopeful  and  pleasing  anticipation  But  his  way  was 
the  way  of  fallen  humanity,  with  all  its  natural  and  moral 
lesions.  He  felt  in  his  soul  an  inherent  perversion  of  all  that 
is  good. — lie  had  read  much  about  diseases  and  the  rem- 
edies which  a  Beneficent  Creator  has  provided,  but  could  find 
none  for  the  moral  lesions  of  the  soul.  Its  way,  was  the 
constant  way  of  sin;  his  judgment  sometimes  approving  and 
sometimes  disapproving  his  acts;  and  conscience  sometimes 
excusing  and  sometimes  accusing.  He  became  unhappy,  and  * 
discouraged. — The  intoxicating  bowl  presented  its  fascinating 
allurements;  it  was  tried.    He  drank  deeply  and  long;  and 


180 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


said  in  his  mad  ecstas}^  this  is  the  remedy  I  have  so  long  need  - 
ed! Its  hidden  poison  was  not  seen,  nor  its  ruinous  effects 
apprehended.  Persistence  soon  stupefied  both  judgment  and 
conscience;  and  the  sins  to  which  he  had  been  painfully 
alive,  became  agreeable  and  desirable.  Friends  began  to  sus- 
pect,  relations  to  admonish,  and  a  fond  mother  to  entreat;  but 
he  had  passed  the  bounds  of  human  restraints  !  Attacks  of 
delirium  tremens  ensued,  professional  character  d(iclined,  and 
property  was  sacrificed.  Hopes  of  reformation  were  lost  by 
all  except  one  ;  her's  was  the  mother's  hope,  and  it  was  in 
God.  In  the  agony  of  her  soul,  she  said  "Turn  him,  O 
Lord,  and  he  shall  be  turned."  That  prayer  was  heard  by 
Him  who  had  prompted  it.  And  then  was  he  found  by  Him 
Who,  in  covenant,  had  said  let  his  sins,  hij  impviation,  be  my 
sins,  his  curse  m.y  curse,  his  death  my  death,  and  who  had 
also,  when  he  bore  the  sins  of  many  and  made  intercession 
for  the  transgressors,  atoned  for  all  his  sins.  He  came  in  the 
ullness  of  all  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel.  The  soul  that  was 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  was  quickened  into  life;  and  nev- 
er, no  never,  can  he  forget  that  awful  hour,  when  in 
the  light  of  life  he  beheld  and  felt  his  sinful  state,  and  sunk 
overwhelmed  under  a  sense  of  his  practical  sins,  causing  him 
to  feel  that  he  was  not  only  the  chief  of  sinners,  but  that  so 
great  a  sinner  had  never  lived  before,  was  not  then  living,  nor 
could  hereafter. — Despair  sunk  even  belov/  the  plea  of  mercy  ! 
not  one  word  of  pra^-er  could  be  uttered,  and  just  at  the  moment 
when  the  vengeance  of  God's  |iery  law  was  seemingly  about  to 
fall  upon  his  guilty  soul,  a  strange  and  unexpected  sense  of  re- 
lief ensued.  In  a  moment  all  was  quiet  and  peace  within, 
and  bright  and  lovely  without.  He  knew  not  whence  these 
changes  came.  Christ  was  in  them,  but  it  was  his  first  visit 
of  love  and  mercy,  and  he  was  not  recognized,  but  brighter 
and  brighter  manifestations  soon  disclosed  Him  to  faith's 
spiritual  vision.  Since  then  he  has  contended  earnestly  for 
that  form  of  doctrine  into  which  his  soul  was  then  cast — the 
moulding  of  grace — and  also  for  tht^t  p^irt  of  it,  for  which  he 
now  with  heart  and  hand,  contends  for,  "Make  the  tree  good 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


181 


and  the  fruit  will  be  good."  Practical  godliness  can  ac- 
knowledge no  other  source  than  God !  It  is  God  that  woi'keth  ! 
and  through  man  the  work  is  made  manifest. 

I  will  now  show  the  inseparable  connection  between  the 
Old  Baptist  creed,  and  our  subject,  practical  godliness,  and 
how  the  Arminian  plan  excludes  it;  for  it  is  my  design  to  provei 
that  the  doctrine  of  salvation,  by  grace  will  not  admit  either 
of  Aniinonianism  or  Arminianism. 

I  will  begin  with  personal  and  unconditional  election  as  it 
is  termed,  and  prove  that  it  involves  personal  holiness. 
"Whom  He  foreknew,  them  He  also  predestinated  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  His  Son."  Observe,  the  very  persons 
who  were  foreknown,  were  the  very  ones,  who  were  predesti- 
nated to  be  conformed  to  the  Image  of  Jesus  Christ.  This 
conformation  to  the  image  of  Christ  will  most  assuredly  pro- 
duce practical  godliness.  The  image  of  Christ  cannot  be  im- 
pressed by  the  Holy  Spirit  without  holy  results,  constituting 
the  good  works  which  God  hath  before  ordained  for  the  glory 
of  that  image.  If  personal  election  be  denied,  as  it  is  by  the 
Arminian,  the  very  source  and  means  of  personal  holiness  are 
thereby  excluded.  Personal  election  may  be  also  inferred  from 
the  words  of  Paul  in  his  letter  to  the  Church  at  Thessalonica. 
They,  through  their  election  of  God,  had  a  personal  interest 
in  the  power  and  assurance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  consequently 
they  believed  and  became  "ensamples  to  all"  that  believed  in 
Macedonia.  Thess..  1.  4,  5,  7.  Now  therefore,  without  this 
election  of  God,  and  their  personal  interest  in  its  blessings, 
how  could  they  have  believed,  and  become  "ensa^mples"  to  all 
other  believers?  All  of  which  is  denied  by  the  Arminian,  and 
thereby  the  very  foundation  of  all  their  good  works  is  removed. 
Peter  says  that  the  strangers — not  the  Apostles  onl}^ — who 
were  scattered  throughout  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia 
and  Bythinia,  were  elected  according  to  the  foreknowledge'  of 
God,  the  Father,  through  a  sanctification  of  the  spirit  unto  obe- 
dience. Thus,  is  Christian  obedience  a  fruit  of  election.  And 
£f  the  Arminian  rejects  it,  he  will  of  necessity,  reject  Christian 


182 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


obedience  also.  How  can  he  blot  out  God's  election  from  Mb 
creed  without  likewise  blotting  ont  "a  sanctification  of  the 
spirit"  and  obedience  to  Christ?  Or  if  he  be  obedient  him- 
self, was  he  not  elected  to  his  obedience  through  a  sanctifica- 
tion of  the  spirit,  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God?  Or 
if  he  "be  holy  and  without  blame  before  Him  in  love,"  was 
he  not  chosen  in  Christ  "before  the  foundation  of  the  world?" 

Christ  Himself  says,  "All  that  the  Father  hath  given  to  me 
shall  come  unto  me."  As  Christ  brings  none  to  Himself  only 
in  a  way  of  life  and  holiness ;  life  and  holiness  are  the  fruits 
of  having  been  g^iven  by  the  Father  to  the  Son.  This  the 
Arminian  disavows,  and  by  so  doing,  excludes  the  true^ 
source  of  spiritual  life  and  practical  holiness. 

The  words  of  the  Prophet  are  also  in  point, — ^'I  have  loved 
thee  with  an  everlasting  love,  therefore  with  loving  kindness 
have  I  drawn  thee."  When  the  Lord  draws  the  sinner,  it  is  in 
a  way  of  practical  godliness;  a  holy  turning  unto  the  Lord  i& 
a  fruit  of  "everlasting  love."  Now,  if  the  Arminian  deny  the 
eternity  of  God's  love,  and  of  his  having  loved  his  people  with 
an  "everlasting  love"  from  whence  can  he  get  this  holy  turning 
unto  the  Lord  ? 

While  Arminian  systems  thus  reject  the  only  foundation  for 
holiness  of  heart  and  life  in  this  world,  may  we  not  justly  fear 
there  are  many  who  affect  to  believe  the  great  doctrine  of  fore- 
ordination,  without  any  concern  about  its  fruits?  Even  sup- 
posing that  this  doctrine  is  Arminianized  wheneveFgood  works 
are  predicated  of  it!  Thus,  dreading  the  things  of  Arminian- 
ism,  they  have  fallen  into  many  hurtful  ultraisms.  These  ul- 
traists  look  upon  the  admonitions,  exhortations,  warnings  and 
threatenings  of  the  Lord,  almost  as  a  species  of  Bible- Armi- 
nianism,  or  deviation  from  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  ; 
while  the  Arminian  regards  ihem  as  a  kind  oi  Bible  refutation 
of  it!  I  have  already  proven  both  are  wrong;  but  I  wil! 
discuss  the  subject  to  a  still  greater  extent,  as  it  has  been; 
mistook  by  each  of  the  foregoing  characters 

The  very  way  of  grace  involves  exhortations,  adiaonitioES;^ 


"  PRACTICAL  GODLINESS.  - 

vrarnings  and  threatenings.  Grace,  in  its  divine  fullness, 
gives,  it  is  true,  a  new  heart,  but  the  ''inner  man"  of  the 
heart  is  left  in  union  with  the  body  of  sin.  in  a  world  of 
wickedness,  and  temptations  Its  holy  sentiment,  '-Lord 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do""'.^  is  met  by  the  holy  pre- 
cepts of  the  Bible  :  its  troubles  from  the  "outer  man"*  by  the 
exhortation,  which  accords  well  with  the  working  of  grace  in 
the  soul,  "put  off  the  old  man  which  is  corrupt,  and  put  on 
the  new  man,  Vvdiich.  after  God.  is  created  in  righteousness 
and  true  holiness,""  its  trials  from  the  world  by  the  admoni- 
tion. --Be  not  conformed  to  this  world,  and  its  temptations 
from  the  devil,  by  the  exhortation,  to  --resist  the  devil."'  Peter 
says.  --Add  to  your  faiih,  virtue  :  to  virtue,  knowledge;  and  to 
knowledge,  temperance;  and  to  temperance,  patience;  and 
to  patiencF,  godliness  ;.  and  to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness; 
and  to  brotherly  kinlaess,  charity."  For  if  ye  do  these 
things,  ye  shall  never  fail — shall  never  break  any  bones, 
never  become  lame,  never  become  blind,  the  salt  shall  never 
lose  its  savor,  or  the  cause  of  Christ  suffer  on  your  account. 
But  by  a  neglect  of  the  exhortations,  warnings  and  threaten- 
ings,  all  these  evils  may  be  incurred.  Evils  which  are  not 
incompatible  with  perseverance,  but  entirely  so  with  a  peace 
of  mind,  and  the  enjoymen';  ot  the  promises  of  the  gospel. 
The  natural  man  may  live  in  a  very  sickly  state,  but  he  can 
have  but  little  it  any  enjoyment  of  life,  so  vrith  the  christian, 
he  may  be  spiritually  alive,  but  in  a  sickly,  unhappy  and 
doubtful  state.  The  threatening  of  grace  then  is,  that  it  will 
not  destroy,  but  will  chastise,  and  afdict.  Then,  that  we 
may  avoid  such  sore  afflictions  and  chastisements,  exhorta- 
tions, admonitions  and  warnings  full  of  mercy  and  love  are 
given.  How  can  we  despise  them"?  How  can  we  neglect 
them?  Grace  in  the  soul  must  have  an  affinity  for  them,  a 
love  of  them,  and  a  desire  to  comply  with  them. 

The  spiritual  way  of  exhortations  is  a  way  of  life  and  not 
of  death — a  way  of  final  perseverance  and  net  of  apostasy — 
a  savor  of  life  unto  life  to  the  true  believer,  and  of  death  unto 
death  to  the  pretender;  hence,  no  argument  can  be  deduced 


1S4  \  PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 

from  them  in  support  of  Arminianism  or  apostas3^    They  are 
the  words  of  grace,  and  can  only  become  effectual  through 
the  divine  povve^  thereof;  in  no  other  way  will  they  be  enter- 
tained, borne  in  mind,  carefully  heeded  and  zealously  practised. 
As  in  our  present  state,  we  only  see  and  know  in  pa?'i,  we 
have  great  need  of  divine  instruction  and  guidance  by  pre- 
cepts, admonitions,  exhortations,  warnings  and  threatenings. 
And  as  christians  often  suffer  many  evils,  crosses,  tribulations, 
trials  and  alarming  dispensations  of  providence,  they  have 
great  need  of  the  exhortation,  not  to  despise  the  chastening  of 
the  Lord,  nor  to  faint  when  rebuked  by  him;  also  of  the  as- 
surance, that  "Whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth,  and 
scourgeth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth";  and  likewise  of  the 
merciful  assurance,  that  all  things  shall  work  together  for 
their  good.    Besides,  as  the  kingdom  of  God  is  compared  to  a 
net,  which  was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  brought  out  good  and 
bad,  we  may  expect  to  find  along  with  these  admonitions,  in- 
dignation and  wrath  against  hypocrites  and  those  who  draw 
back  unto  perdition,  those  who  bring  forth  no  fruit  to  perfec- 
tion, and  those  who  are  overcome  b}^  the  world.  Christians 
who  walk  somewhat  in  the  way  of  these,  should  doubt  their 
state,  become  alarmed  at  their  course,  and  justly  expect  the 
chastening  rod  of  the  Lord;  and  when  the  stripes  come,  let 
them  remember  the  gracious  assurance,  that  the  Lord  will  not 
utterly  withdraw  his  loving  kindness',  nor  suffer  his  faithfulness 
to  fail.    The  church  of  Christ,  in  one  sense,  has  two  doors ; 
one  for  the  reception  of  members,  and  the  other  for  the  expul- 
sion of  hypocrites.    Many  things  are  said  about  the  latter, 
which  Arminians  are  forward  to   apply  to  true  believers, 
that  they  may  sustain   their    notion    of  the   final  apos- 
tasy of  true  believers.    That  nominal  professors  should  apos- 
tatize, is  not  at  all  surprising;  but  that  he  who  is  born  of  the 
Spirit,  should  not,  is  plainly  revealed  in  the  Word  of  God. 
The  true  believer  may  be  excluded  from  the  visible  church, 
but  not  from  the  spiritual  family  of  the  Lord.    The  exhorta- 
tions of  the  Bible  extend  even  to  the  backslidden,  and  to  those 
who  are  in  Babylon  itself    God  has  declared  that  he  u-ould 


PRACTICAL  GGDLLVESS. 


heal  the  backslidings  of  the  christian,  not  those  of  the  hypo- 
crite. The  latter  pursues  his  way  of  apostasy  while  the 
healing  stripes  ^vhich  are  inflicted  on  the  former,  gene- 
rally bring  him  back  to  the  visible  fold  of  Christ.  These 
things  give  ample  scope  for  the  exercise  of  faith,  for  prayer, 
for  patience,  resignation,  fortitude,  and  a  faithful  discharge  of 
duties  tovard  God.  the  church,  and  the  world.  There  should 
be  no  idlers  here,  where  such  inward  and  outvrard  duties  are 
daily  and  hourly  required. 

In  the  church  there  are  many  members  in  one  body,  and  all 
have  not  the  same  office:  hence,  we  have  particular  directions 
hou-  we  should  act  relatively  toward  each  other  :  also  gifts, 
differing  according  to  the  grace  given  to  us.  How  necessar}' 
that  we  should  learn  our  place  in  the  church,  and  act  our  part 
well,  as  an  eye,  hand  or  foot.  In  the  present  state  of  the 
churcii,  there  are  masters  and  servants,  parents  and  children, 
rich  and  poor,  learned  and  unlearned:  and  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
babes  in  Christ,  and  men  of  full  statue,  healthy  and  sick.  All 
these  differences  of  state,  may,  by  a  faithful  performance  of 
relative  duties,  be  reduced  to  a  church  oneness.  How  essen- 
tially necessary  then  for  the  well  being  of  any  church,  that  all 
these  duties  should  be  zealously  discharged.  AVe  should 
search  the  scriptures  for  a  knowdedge  of  those  duties  thus  in- 
volved by  our  relations  to  others  as  above  specified.  As  we 
live  in  a  world  of  religious  pride  and  self-sutiiciency.  and  with 
a  part  of  ourselves  in  alliance  with  it,  let  us  take  heed  to  the 
exhortations  to  humility.  By  an  humble  scriptural  course,  we 
may  find  onr  true  place  in  the  church,  and  discharge  our  obli- 
gations accordingly — in  humbleness  of  mind  in  honor  prefer- 
ing  one  another. 

There  are  also  exhortations  to  prayer;  and  not  to  be 
tedious,  there  is  not  a  precept  without  a  corresponding 
exhortation,  aimonition  and  warning  attending  it;  ail 
of  which  we  should  carefully  observe.  And  yet  many  will 
say  if  it  be  the  purpose  of  God  to  save  his  elect,  of  what  use 
are  these  things?    If  they  be  kept  by  the  power  of  God.  of 


186 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


what  avail  are  exhortations?  In  reply,  Paul  knew  the  elect 
of  God  by  the  effect  of  his  preaching ;  his  words  went  unto 
them  in  power  and  much  assurance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  show- 
ing that  the  Lord  adapts  the  heart  to  his  word  ;  and  that  it 
is  the  method  of  grace  to  lead  by  that  as  well  as  by  the  Spirit. 
We  have  become  reprehensibly  careless  about  means,  as  they 
are  termed.  Means  in  the  hands  of  God  partake  of  his  pow- 
er, in  ours,  of  our  strength  only.  We  employ  means  with  a  pros- 
pect of  success  only  in  faith,  irrespectively  of  any  confi- 
dence in  them  apart  from  the  power  of  God ;  hence 
all  our  duties,  in  that  way,  are  performed  as  fully  by  faith  in 
God,  as  though  there  were  no  means  at  all.  So  the  observ- 
ance of  such  things,  become  special  duties  performed  accord- 
ing to  the  commandments  of  the  Lord.  Hence,  it  was  a  duty 
on  the  part  of  the  leper  to  bathe  in  Jordan,  for  Moses  to  smite 
the  rock,  for  the  crew  to  remain  in  the  ship,  for  John  to  say, 
"repent  for  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand,"  for  the  disci- 
ples to  say,  "repent  and  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ," 
and  for  Paul  and  Peter  to  exhort  and  admonish  the  brethren. 
We  should  never  attach  any  essential  efficiency  to  means  of 
this  kind;  we  should  regard  their  employment  on  our  part 
onl}^  as  a  duty;  in  this  way  the  use  of  means  is  perfectly  con- 
sistent with  our  doctrine  ;  and  in  this  manner  they  were  em- 
ployed by  all  the  bible  worthies.  God  has  assuredly  connect- 
ed his  work  of  grace  in  this,  world  with  many  visible  signs, 
outward  duties,  commandments,  exhortations  or  means,  as 
you  may  be  pleased  to  name  them.  When  one  says  he  does  not 
believe  in  the  use  of  means,  it  amounts  to  his  saying  he  does 
not  believe  in  a  performance  of  christian  duties  ;  for  we  can- 
not disparage  one  without  the  other. 

Suppose  Mosos  had  said  means  are  of  no  use,  neither  the  rod, 
nor  the  stretching  forth  ofmyarmcando  good  in  this  extremity; 
the  leper,  that  the  waters  of  Jordan  cannot  cure  leprosy  ; 
Paul,  that  it  is  not  necessary  for  the  crew  to  remain  in  the 
ship  ;  John,  that  it  will  be  of  no  avail  for  me  to  say,  repent ; 
the  dcsciples,  that  it  will  be  of  no  avail  to  exhort  and  admon- 
ish the  brethren.    These  servants  did  not  act  in  that  way,  but 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 

were  careful  to  do  all  the  thing?  \^  hich  the  Lord  commanded, 
giving  us  thereby  examples  of  daty,  of  faith,  and  regard  for 
the  ways  of  the  Lord.  Had  vre  not  better  go  and  imitate 
their  examples  than  to  standstill  and  controvert  about  them  as 
many  do  in  the  present  day?  Having  given  this  general  out- 
line of  my  subject  I  will  now  treat  of  some 

SPECIALITIES. 

1.  The  Preacher. — The  modern  bishop,  elder,  or  minister 
as  you  mav  term  him,  must  have  experienced  a  spiritual  adap- 
tation to  his  work.  "What  saith  the  scripture?"  '"If  a  man 
desire  the  office  of  a  bishop,  he  desireth  a  good  work;  must 
be  blameless,  the  husband  of  one  vrife,  vigilant,  sober,  of  good 
behaviour,  given  to  hospitality,  apt  to  teach,  not  given  to 
wine,  no  striker,  not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre,  but  patient,  not  a 
brawler,  not  covetous,  one  that  ruleth  vrell  his  own  house, 
having  his  children  in  subjection  with  all  gravity,  (for  if  a  man 
know  not  how  to  rule  his  own  house  how  shall  he  take  care 
of  the  church  of  God?)  not  a  novice,  lest  being  lifted  up  with 
pride,  he  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil;  Moreover, 
he  must  have  a  good  report  of  them  that  are  without,  lest  he 
fall  into  the  reproach  and  snare  oi  the  devil."  The  minister 
must  be  an  example  to  the  fiock,  a  pattern  of  holiness,  a 
model  christian ;  a  teacher  of  sound  doctrine;  he  must  con- 
tend earnesly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints;  he 
must  feed  the  lambs — feed  the  sheep — comfort  the  people  of 
God  ;  and  he  must  call  on  sinners  to  repent.  As  this  part  of 
our  commission  is  greatly  and  reprehensibly  neglected  by  us 
I  will  make  a  fe^y  remarks  on  the  subject,  although  I  have 
noticed  it  in  another  part  of  this  work.  The  general  and 
last  commission  to  preach  the  gospel,  runs  thus,  "Go  ye  into, 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that 
belie\'eth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved  :  but  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned."' 

How  did  John  preach  ?  In  those  days  came  John  the 
Baptist,  preaching  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  and  saying, 
repent  ye  ;  for  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand. 


PI 


188 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


How  did  the  Great  Examplar  preach  ?  "Jesus  came  into 
Gallilee  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
saying,  the  time  is  falfilled,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at 
hand;  repent  ye  and  believe  the  gospel." 

The  twelve  went  out  and  also  preached,  that  men 
should  repent.  It  is  to  be  greatly  regretted  that  any  of  our 
preachers  should  have  supposed  that  their  commission  did 
not  extend  to  sinners,  and  that  it  was  not  consonant  with 
sound  doctrine  to  exhort  them  to  repent  and  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  How  could  this  error  ever  have  been 
entertained  for  a  moment,  with  the  strong  bible  precept,  the 
plain  example  of  Christ  and  his  disciples  before  them  ?  The 
very  commission  itself  assures  us  that  some  would  not  believe, 
and  yet  includes  them  in  the  gospel  address.  It  is  in  this  and 
similar  ways  that  the  spirit  of  exhortation  has  been  grieved 
and  lost  in  our  pulpits.  This  shows  the  great  propriety  of 
rightly  dividing  the  word  of  God,  and  not  shunning  to  de- 
clare all  of  it  —  to  feed  the  lambs,  to  feed  the  sheep,  to 
exhort  all,  every  creature  to  repent  and  believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  There  are  "other  sheep"  yet  unbrought,  and  we 
as  ministers  can  reach  them  only  by  a  general  address,  be- 
lieving that  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his,  and  that 
the  excellency  of  power  has  not  been  delegated  to  us,  but  is 
still  with  God.  If  our  Old  Baptist  system  be  right,  it  will  be 
found  in  agreement  with  every  text,  and  if  we  have  to  alter 
or  abridge  the  commission  to  preach  the  gospel,  it  is  plain  evi- 
dence of  an  error  among  us. 

The  Lord  has  plainly  revealed  the  great  truth,  that  all  Chris- 
tians are  saved  by  grace,  but  in  our  Calvinistic  ultraisms  we 
are  too  little  inclined  to  study  the  Lord's  way  of  saving  his  peo- 
ple; his  plan  as  connected  with  earthly  things,  signs,  means, 
methods,  or  what  you  please  to  term  them.  The  Antinomian 
affects  to  despise  them  because  the  Arminian  perverts  them. 
Both  are  wrong.  If  it  be  the  Lord's  method  to  have  us  say 
to  sinners  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  repent  and  believe,  we 
should  practice  it.    Our  exhorting  sinners  to  repent  and  be- 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 

lieve  is  according  to  the  Lord's  plan,  and  how  can  we  reject  it^ 
or  neglect  it,  without  the  very  consequences  svhich  have  follow- 
ed. Our  commission,  alas  !  brethren,  has  been  narrowed  down 
to  the  words  "feed  my  sheep."  There  are  but  few  if  any  lambs 
to  feed,  and  still  fewer  of  the  "other  sheep"  being  brought  in 
by  our  ministry.  To  exhort  sinners  to  repent  does  not  con- 
flict with  the  doctrine  that  God  alone  can  give  life  and  repen- 
tence;  or  to  believe  does  not  conflict  with  the  truth  that  faith 
is  the  gift  of  God;  nor  do  the  exhortations,  warnings  and 
threatenings  oppose  the  doctrine  that  the  believer  is  kept  by 
the  power  of  God;  no  more  indeed  than  if  it  were  now  said 
that  the  leper's  cure  was  not  of  God,  because  he  bathed  in  Jor- 
dan; that  the  bringing  forth  of  fruits  meet  for  repentance  was 
not  of  God,  because  John  exhorted  them  to  repent.  Our  ul- 
traists  would  then  have  said  why  bathe  in  Jordan,  as  God 
only  can  cure  leprosy?  Why  encompass  the  walls  as  God 
has  purposed  to  throw  them  down?  Why  remain  in  the  ship 
as  it  is  the  purpose  of  God  to  save  all  the  crew?  Just  as 
they  now  say,  why  exhort  sinners  to  repent,  as  the  Lord  only 
can  give  life  and  repentance?  Why  exhort  men  to  believe  as 
faith  is  the  gift  of  God?  Why  exhort  believers  to  persevere^ 
as  God  only  can  enable  them  to  do  so  ? 

The  very  considerations  which  in  their  estimation  amount 
to  objections  should  on  the  contrary  be  regarded  as  induce- 
ments to  preach  in  that  way.  one  should  preach  the  gos- 
pel, without  the  faith  of  the  gospel;  he  should  believe  that 
the  Lord  gives  the  blessings  of  the  gospel,  even  to  those  who 
oppose  it — God  may  peradventure  give  them  repentance 
to  the  acknowledging  of  its  truths.  We  preach  according  to 
a  peradventure — many  are  called  in  that  way,  but  few  are 
.chosen — ?na.7ii/  hear  outwardly,  but  few  inwardly. 

We  call  on  sinners  to  awake  from  the  sleep  of  death  by 
faith,  believing  that  God  will  give  them  life ;  to  repent  be- 
•cause  he  has  promised  to  give  repentance  ;  to  believe  because, 
he  gives  faith,  to  persevere  because  he  is  the  Finisher 
of  our  faith.    Shall  we  give   up  this  part  of  the  work  of 


190 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


the  ministry  because  it  has  been  Arminianized,  and  call  all 
Arminians  who  carry  it  out?  Faith  divests  all  these  things  of 
Arminianism;  faith  which  has  regard  to  what  the  Lord  will  do, 
and  not  a  false  trust  in  what  we  may  do  ourselves. 

Have  modern  preachers  become  wiser  than  the  "sower"  of 
old?  One  fourth  only  of  his  seed  fell  on  ''good  ground.'' 
The  modern  servant  affects  not  to  cast  any  seed  on  stony 
or  thorny  ground  or  by  the  way  side.  Our  system  should  not 
only  embrace  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace,  but  also  the 
method  or  way  of  grace.  The  way  of  grace  is  to  call  on  sin- 
ners to  live  as  well  as  to  give  life,  to  exhort  them  to  repent,  as 
well  as  to  give  repentance,  to  exhort  unbelievers  to  believe  as 
well  as  to  give  faith.  It  both  leads  by  the  spirit,  and  exhorts  by 
the  word. 

But  alas !  Where  are  our  exhorters  ?  They  are  char- 
acters almost  unknown  among  us.  Where  is  the  preach' 
er  who  stops  in  his  ultra  doctrinal  course  to  exhort  eith- 
er  saint  or  sinner?  Some  particular  dogma  must  be  proved  by 
a  perversion  of  revealed  truth;  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word 
is  withheld,  strong  meats  are  poisoned,  and  the  great  spiritual 
interest  of  the  congregation  is  disregarded — all  this  and  even 
more,  the  peace  and  well  being  of  the  household  of  faith  is 
broken  up,  if  necessary,  to  establish  some  ultra  tenet. 

But  to  return:  after  all  that  has  been  preached  and  written 
on  the  subject  of  means,  the  whole  doctrine  resolves  itself  in- 
to this  truth,  that  means  are  nothing  more  or  less  than  the  ways 
or  methods  of  the  Lord  in  doing  the  things  whichhe  haspur- 
posed.  He  could  do  the  same  things  by  any  other  methods  or 
ways  were  he  disposed  so  to  act,  or  without  any  means  at  all;  at 
least  without  such  as  involve  human  acts.  Although  we  are 
thus  free  to  believe,  yet  we  are  not  thus  free  to  act.  We  are 
bound  as  the  Lord's  servants  to  regard  with  much  concern  his 
revealed  will  in  all  things.  We  believe  the  Lord  can  save  sinners 
without  our  preaching  to  them,  but  that  does  not  excuse  us  from 
saying  to  them,  repent  ye  and  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  that  he  can  save  them  without  water  baptism  or  the 


PRACTICAL  GODLLSESS.  -     ^  191 

Lord's  supper,  but  that  he  does  not  authorize  us  to  dispense 
with  them.  But  verily  we  have  deviated  so  far  from  the 
bible  in  our  views  and  feelings,  if  one  were  to  call  on  sinners 
to  repent,  in  the  earnest,  warm  and  emphatic  "vvay,  which 
Christ  and  his  disciples  did,  he  would  be  regarded  as  an  Ar- 
minian. 

Until  the  spirit  of  exhortation  shall  revive  among  us — if  we 
are  the  people  of  God.,  that  spirit  is  among  us  in  some  state, 
vexed,  grieved  or  quenched  —  we  shall  lightly  regard  the 
wholesome  exhortations  of  the  bible.  ^Yho  of  as  is  so  meek 
and  lowly  as  to  be  taught  by  another  ?  Who  has  determined 
to  preach  according  to  the  model  preachers  of  the  ZSew  Testa- 
ment? Who  like  Paul  has  determined  not  to  know  any  thing  in  the 
pulpit  but  Jesus  Christ  and  him  [crucified?  Who  of  us  have 
resolved  to  quiet  the  minds  of  our  brethren  about  things  hard 
to  be  understood,  the  things  which  engender  strife,  contention, 
and  confusion^  There  is  certainly  too  great  a  fondness  for 
the  like,  which  must  first  be  corrected  in  our  pulpits.  But 
until  the  spirit  of  exhortation  shall  revive,  and  cease  to  be 
vexed,  grieved  and  quenched,  as  it  has  been  for  a  long  time^ 
we  need  not  expect  much  reformation  in  our  mode  of  preach- 
ing. There  are,  however,  a  few  who  have  eyes  to  see,  and 
hearts  to  deplore  the  things  now  under  consideration.  The 
errors  of  preachers  are  not  private  ones,  but  are  disseminated 
from  the  pulpit  among  the  brethren,  and  produce  among  them 
contentions,  divisions,  coldness  and  barrenness;— -they  act  on 
their  minds  as  doth  a  canker  on  the  body.  How  very  needful  that 
they  should  study  to  show  themselves  approved  unto  God; 
and  not  pursue  those  hurtful  things  of  which  I  now  speak. 

2.  The  Deacons.  These  should  be  holy  men:  they  should 
examine  the  character  of  a  deacon  as  described  by  the  Apos- 
tles; and  if  found  wanting,  should  endeavor  to  acquire  it. 
Our  deacons  are  almost  passive  officers  in  the  church,  they  wait 
on  the  table  of  the  Lord,  in  the  administration  of  the  sacra- 
ments, once  every  three  or  four  months,  and  do  not  seem  to 
think  that  any  further  duties  are  required  of  them.    l"hey  do 


192 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


not  see  that  the  preacher  is  well  provided  for;  that  the  church 
renders  unto  him  a  due  amount  of  her  temporal  things  in  ex- 
change for  the  spiritual  things  received  by  him.  A  faithful 
and  persevering  performance  of  this  duty  by  them  w^ould  aid 
their  preachers  greatly,  by  enabling  them  to  give  more  of 
their  time  to  study  and  preaching.  They  are  greatly  remiss 
in  that  respect.  Besides,  they  should  be  forward  to  encourage 
their  brethren  to  build  good  and  comfortable  houses  for  public 
worship,  and  to  repair  those  that  are  not  commodious  and  com- 
fortable. There  is  a  fearful  responsibility  resting  at  this  time 
on  ourdeaconry;  a  responsibility  which  many  of  them  do  not 
seem  to  feel.  They  as  the  stewards  of  the  house  of  God  allow 
the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the  grain  to  be  muzzled;  and  give 
themselves  no  concern  about  putting  a  portion  of  "the  milk  of 
the  flock"  into  the  "earthen  vessel."  But  as  I  have  given  an  ex- 
position of  their  duties  in  another  part  of  this  book,  I  will  add 
no  more  on  the  subject  of  specialities,  and  treat  of  some 

General  Duties. 

Shall  we  profess  to  have  been  quickened^  born  again,  to  be 
new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus,  to  have  been  created  in  Christ 
Jesus  unto  good  works,  to  have  received  a  sanctification  of  the 
spirit,  to  have  ears  to  hear,  eyes  to  see,  hearts  to  understand, 
and  then  not  walk  in  the  ways  of  practical  godliness?  To 
be  consistent,  we  must  either  change  our  lives  or  our  creed. 
If  God  has  quickened  us,  should  we  not  live  to  him?  If  he 
has  given  us  a  new  heart,  should  we  not  worship  him  "in 
spirit  and  in  truth?"  If  we  have  been  created  in  Christ  Jesus, 
unto  good  works,  should  we  not  be  found  walking  in  them? 
If  we  have  eyes  to  see,  should  vve  not  walk  in  the  narrow 
way?  If  ears  to  hear,  should  we  not  be  doers  as  well  as 
hearers  of  the  Word? 

If  the  doctrine  of  truth  be  in  our  hearts,  should  we  not 
adorn  it?  If  we  have  hearts  to  understand,  should  we  not 
avoid  hurtful  notions?  If  God  has  shed  his  love  abroad  in 
our  soulc^,  should  we  not  love  him,  and  those  born  of  him? 
Being  risen  with  Christ,  ought  we  not  to  seek  those  things 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 

which  are  above?  If  the  Lord  has  given  us  talents,  ought  we 
not  to  improve  thenj?  If  he  has  given  us  an  inward  light, 
ought  we  not  to  show  it  outwardly?  And  with  the  divine  as- 
surance that  all  things  shall  work  together  for  ourgood,  ought 
we  not  to  be  patient  in  tribulation,  hopeful  in  adversity,  and 
active  in  all  good  works? 

■  vt> 

It  we  profess  to  be  born  of  God,  born  of  the  Spirit,  created 
in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  and  then  live  no  holier  than 
before,  we  declare  practically  that  Christ  is  no  better  than 
x\dam,  which  is  a  contradiction  of  all  christian  experience, 
and  a  sign  that  we  have  deceived  ourselves.  How  unreason- 
able and  derogatory  to  the  glory,  holiness  and  Spirit  of 
Christ,  to  admit  such  a  thing  in  doctrine,  but  in  acts  we  speak 
it  unblushingly !  We  profess  to  have  been  quickened  by  Chris  t, 
but  walk  in  Adam !  Let  us  examine  ourselves  and  try  the 
spirits  by  which  we  are  governed,  that  we  may  prove  our 
state;  for  as  Christianity  consists  essentially  of  a  state,  that 
state  will  declare  itself  by  spiritual  tests.  Christ  says,  "if  ye 
love  me,  keep  my  comma'- dments."'  The  test  of  love,  then, 
is  obedience  Those  who  love  God,  love  those  w  ho  are  born 
of  him:  and  we  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto 
life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.  Then  let  us  seek  out  the 
proof  of  this  love  of  the  brethren.  Do  we  watch  over  each 
other  for  good,  or  for  evil?  Do  we  comfort  and  support  each 
other,  or  do  we  bite  and  devour  one  another?  Do  we  in  a 
general  way  walk  according  to  the  flesh  or  according  to  the 
Spirit?  Do  we  conform  to  the  image  of  this  world  or  that  of 
Christ?  Are  our  affections  set  on  things  on  earth  or  in 
heaven?  Do  we  worship  God  or  mammon?  Are  we  forward 
or  backward  to  do  good?  Do  we  love  in  tongue  or  deed?  Do 
sve  pray  day  and  night,  or  only  occasionally?  Do  we  visit 
the  sick  and  try  to  alleviate  their  sufferings,  or  do  we  give 
ourselves  no  concern  about  them?  Do  we  have  a  scriptural 
regard  for  our  ministers,  and  render  unto  them  their  just 
claims,  or  do  we  neglect  them  and  their  families?  Finally, 
are  we  persevering  in  a  way  of  holy  obedience,  or  vainly  pre- 
13 


HI 


194  PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 

sumiDg  to  do  so  in  a  way  of  sin  and  disobedience?  A  can- 
did reply  of  conscience  to  these  'interrogatories  ought  to 
settle  the  question  in  our  hearts,  as  to  whether  we  be  the 
quickened  followers  of  Christ  or  not?  We  are  forward  to 
search  out  the  doctrine  of  christian  perseverance  in  our  bibles, 
but  if  we  be  the  subjects  of  it,  it  may  be  known  and  read  in 
our  lives  also.  Let  us  then  turn  from  the  book  of  God,  where- 
ever  it  is  so  plainly  taught,  to  our  lives  and  our  works,  and  see 
if  they  accord  with  its  way  of  holiness,  of  self-denial,  of  cross 
bearing,  of  striving  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate,  of  praying, 
of  watching,  and  of  maintaining  good  works  generally? 
These  are  some  of  the  things  which  accompany  perseverance ; 
they  are  not  the  cause  of  it,  but  the  signs  only.  It  is  in  this 
way  we  become  *'the  epistles  of  God,  written  not  with  ink, 
but  with  the  spirit  of  the  living  God,  in  fleshly  tables  of  the 
heart,"  from  which  our  lives  take  shape  and  coloring. 

Sorne  pretend  to  find  an  excuse  for  their  neglect  of  duties, 
transgression  of  precepts,  and  departures  from  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  by  saying  that  the  flesh,  the  world,  and  the  devil  are  so 
much  in  their  way,  they  can  do  no  good  thing.  To  such  I 
would  say,  go  and  do  as  did  Paul,  or  as  near  as  you  can,  and 
then  you  may  complain  of  these  things  as  he  did.  Go,  do, 
and  suffer  as  did  primitive  christians,]  and  then  you  may 
speak  of  them  as  they  did. 

Is  the  flesh  in  the  way?  We  know  it  is.  The  precept  is 
not  to  live  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit;  not  to  yield  to 
its  influence,  but  to  modify  it,  to  bring  it  under  subjection.  Is 
the  world  in  the  way?  Be  not  conformed  to  the  image  of  this 
world,  is  the  precept.  Does  the  devil  tempt?  Resist  him,  says 
the  Lord.  Instead,  of  finding  an  excuse  for  our  unchristian 
course  in  these  opposing  powers,  our  relation  and  acting  to- 
ward them,  iiivolves,  on  the  contrary,  a  way  of  holiness  in  re- 
gard to  them.  Putting  off'  the  old  man  with  his  deeds;  cru- 
cifying the  world  to  ourselves,  and  ourselves  to  the  world ;  and 
resisting  the  devil  in  all  the  appointed  ways  of  the  Lord.,  ir\- 
Yolve  no  Uttle  practical  godliness..     This  good  fight  of  faith 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


195 


really  involves  a  holy  incentive  to  a  pious  warfare,  instead  of 
serving  as  an  apology  for  a  neglect  of  practical  religion. 

Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?  If,  according  to  our  doc- 
trine, God  be  in  us,  who  is  greater  than  all  these,  the  sufficien- 
cy is  just  at  hand;  it  is  an  indwelling  sufficiency;  not  some- 
thing which  is  very  remote  and  dubious.  Js  God,  who  dwells 
in  you,  and  the  flesh  reconciled  or  in  agreement?  if  not,  may 
we  not  expect  a  holy  struggle  of  soul  in  opposition  to  it,  which 
through  the  power  of  God  will  finally  prevail ;  and  may  we  not 
affirm  the  same  of  the  world  and  the  devil?  Woe,  indeed,  to 
them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion.  No  rest,  no  ease,  no  truce  for 
the  christian  on  earth;  the  world  is  his  battle  field;  the  con- 
flict is  with  foes  within  and  enemies  without,  and  the  grave 
its  termination !  Lotus  fight  a  good  fight;  let  us  keep  the 
faith  which  is  after  godliness  ;  and  let  us  be  encouraged,  know- 
ing that  "the  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us,  and  that  the  God  of 
Jacob  is  our  refuge."  For  how  can  a  man  be  a  christian, 
without  experiencing  from  time  to  time,  that  he  is  kept  by  the 
power  of  God,  from  falling,  from  yielding  to  his  enemies,  and 
from  lethargy  and  ease  in  Zion.  And  yet  the  christian's  life 
abounds  with  contrarieties — of  life  and  death,  of  holiness  and 
sinfulness,  of  faith  and  unbelief,  of  obedience  and  disobedi- 
ence, of  love  and  coldness,  of  heighths  and  depths,  of  joy  and 
sorrow,  of  walking  and  stumbling,  of  standing  still  and  going 
forward,  of  hopes  and  fears.  Of  him  indeed  may  be  said, 
he  is  "half  saint,  and  sinner  half.''  There  is  no  way  of  es- 
cape from  these  conflicts  in  this  life;  nor  can  we  regard  our 
best  works  with  much  complacency.  The  greatest  and  most 
comfortable  consideration  about  them  is,  that  they  are 
wrought  under  grace  and  not  under  the  law,  and  in  conformity  to 
that  grace  which  pardons  the  imperfections  of  our  best  deeds. 
The  believer  is  under  grace  and  not  under  the  law.  If  God 
w^ere  to  mark  our  disobedience,  our  transgressions,  and  our 
follies,  who  of  us  could  stand  before  him?  With  him^  we  re- 
joice to  kno  w,,  there  is  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  a  healing  unction 
for  our  backslidinga.    Let  us  then  search  and  try  our  ways,. 


196 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


and  turn  again  unto  the  Lord.  As  bad  as  our  state  is,  there  is 
hope  that  the  Lord  has  not  utterly  taken  awa}'  his  loving  kind- 
ness, nor  suifered  his  faithfulness  to  fail.  Woe  unto  us  that  we 
have  sinned,  the  crown  has  fallen  from  our  head — all  our  ene- 
mies have  opened  their  mouths  against  us ;  our  silver  has  be- 
come dross;  the  fine  gold  dim;  our  wine  mixed  with  water. 

0  Lord,  in  thy  mercy  lead  forth  the  people  thou  hast  redeem- 
ed! O  guide  them  in  thy  strength!  Grant,  O  God!  that  the 
vine  may  yet  flourish,  the  tender  grass  appear,  and  the  pom- 
granites  bud  forth!  Give  ear,  O  shepherd  of  Israel!  Thou 
that  ieadest  Joseph  like  a  flock;  thou  that  dwellest  between 
the  cherubims,  shine  forth!  Turn  us  again,  O  Lord  of  hosts! 
cause  thy  face  to  shine,  and  we  shall  be  saved.  O  send  out 
thy  light  and  truth,  let  them  lead  us,  let  them  guide  us  in  tl:ie 
way  of  holiness!  Great  are  the  mysteries  of  grace,  who  can 
relate  them?  Heaven  and  eternity  can  only  declare  them! 
The  w^ay  of  "grace  and  truth"  is  assuredly  not  of  this  world, 
the  directing  hand  is  above.  Strange  is  their  history,  it  has 
been  written  prospectively  in  heaven,  but  revealed  only  par- 
tially on  earth.  The  light  of  divine  truth  is  given  to  the 
chosen  of  God  only!  All  others  are  "darkness."  The  first 
born  of  earth  opposed  this  light  even  to  the  shedding  of  inno- 
cent blood.  Men  multiplied  and  replenished  the  earth ;  but 
few  were  endowed  with  the  light  of  revealed  truth.  When 
the  host  of  Antedeluvians  were  destroyed,  only  a  few  souls, 

1  dare  not  say  even  eight,  were  guided  by  its  light  to  the  Ark 
of  Safety. 

Men  multiplied  and  replenished  the  earth  again,  but  few 
heard  the  still  small  voice  of  truth;  and  with  them  it  passed 
strangely  into  foretold  Egyptian  bondage;  but  its  deliverance 
was  as  miraculous,  glorious,  and  triumphant  as  its  thraldom^ 
oppression,  and  suffering  had  been  mysterious  and  unaccoun- 
table. 

Even  in  the  chosen  land  where  the  light  of  truth  was  dis- 
seminated, from  the  visible  and  glorious  Shekinah  throughout 
;all  Jewry,  hut  few  were  inwardly  taught,  though  many  outward- 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


li> !  Its  letter  and  outward  signs  did  not  restrain  carnal  Jews 
from  the  many  abominations,  that  caused  the  land  so  often  to 
suffer  and  mourn. 

When  the  eternal  Word  veiled  Himself  in  humanity,  and 
spake  as  never  did  man  befc  re,  how  few  heard  him  inwardly !  the 
multitudes  in  their  mad  indignation  heeded  not!  The  master 
in  Israel  marvelled  at  the  words  of  truth,  and  called  them 
'•hard  sayings"  as  does  the  world  now  ! 

The  chief  priests  and  pharisees  took  counsel  against  the 
light  which  had  been  ordained  for  the  glory  of  Israel.  In  its 
dark  hour  of  eclipse  on  earth,  friends  faltered,  and  enemies 
triumphed:  but  omy  oiLtirard!ii.  Its  in^^  ard  light  and  power 
took  the  way  of  God's  counsel  in  the  person  of  llm,  iciio  was, 
and  who  is,  and  ir^r,  is  yd  to  be  the  way  of  trutli  in  this  world.. 
— The  sacrificial  blood  of  the  Cross  prevailed.  Jesus  Christ . 
arose,  and  with  Hni  truth  was  resurrected.  It  shone  in  dark- 
ness, but  the  darkness  comprehended  it  not,  the  carnal  Jew 
stumbled  in  it;  the  Greek  called  it  foolishness  ;  but  Christ,, 
the  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God,  became  to  a  cho- 
sen few,  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  Its  icny  and  life  were 
ihen,  is  now,  and  ever  i.dllhe  through  Christ.  His  holy  message 
was  then  disseminated  by  his  chosen  few  throughout  the  whole 
world.  Of  that  immense  host  hovv"  few  heard,  believed  and 
went  in  the  way  of  truth?  only  as  many  as  those  to  whom  the 
Lord  cur  God  became  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  Thence- 
forth it  took  not  the  way  ot  man's  care  and  culture  in  Col- 
leges, Universities  and  other  high  places,  but  heaven's  allot- 
ments— allottments  of  crucifixions,  martyrdoms,  imprison- 
mxcnts,  stripes,  and  all  grades  of  human  suffering.  Truly 
may  we  say  that  divine  truth  was  then  abiding  with  her  cho- 
sen ones. 

But  false  disciples  gave  the  world  "another  gospel,"  not  of 
grace  and  truth,  but  of  worldly  interests,  powers  and  expedi- 
ents. Many  true  disciples  then  became  '-weak,"  "sickly"  and 
'•bewitched."  until  the  Author  of  divine  revelation  declared  b}' 
his  faithful  servant  that  neither  men  nor  angels  could  give  ^ 


198 


PRACTICAL  GODLINESS. 


another  gospel — Great  were  the  perversions  of  sacred  truth ^ 
yet  with  "dyed  garments"  it  went  forth  in  the  greatness  of  its 
strength,  in  holy  defiance  of  all  opposition. 

When  opposition  ceased  for  a  season,  the  way  of  truth  be- 
came less  marked. — One  great  and  potent  on  earth  affected  to 
see  the  Cross  of  truth  in  mid  air,  with  carnal  eyes.  He  per- 
verted and  Romanized  divine  things,  and  gave  the  world  still 
''another  gospel,"  embracingthe  maximumof  worldly  powers, 
interests  and  crafts.  The  world  was  soon  reduced  to  heretical 
subjection.  Error  then  exalted  herself  above  all  that  is  called 
truth  ;  took  the  way  of  darkness,  and  wrought  fearful  works 
of  destiny  !  Truth  born  of  God,  then  fled  into  the  wilderness, 
where  she  had  a  place  prepared  of  God.  Its  divine  light  then 
went  forth  as  in  olden  time,  hiding  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  revealing  itself  unto  "babes." 

A  wicked  and  corrupt  world  had  no  ear  for  the  still  small 
voice  of  truth,  but  sought  it  in  the  strong  wind  of  Romish 
doctrines,  in  the  earthquake  of  the  reformation,  and  in  the  fire 
light  of  universities,  but  found  it  not. 

A  few  centuries  past,  the  wise  and  prudent  boasted  much 
of  "the  reformation,"  supposing  that  divine  truth  could  be  re- 
formed! It  may  revive,  maybe  born  again,  but  it  cannot  be 
reformed.  It  was  a  reformation  of  Romish  errors  and  not  of 
truth,  of  nations,  and  not  the  church  of  God;  when  popery 
took  on  other  forms  to  the  great  relief  of  the  world.  The  re- 
formation came  forth  thrall  of  earthly  powers,  of  kings,  princes, 
ecclesiastical  courts,  and  universities.  Truth  is  free  born!  and 
the  signs  of  its  spiritual  freedom  may  be  retrospected  through 
■dungeons,  racks,  flames,  torments,  blood  and  death! 

In  our  land  of  religious  freedom,  the  wa}^  of  divine  truth  is 
noiyct  opposed  by  civil  powers,  but  gloriously  guarantied;  but 
there  is  much  opposition  in  many  other  ways.  The  wail  and 
howl  of  the  strong  wind  that  rends  the  mountains,  is  heard  in 
many  directions;  the  earthquake  that  shakes  all  earthly 
things  threatens  to  c'estroy;  and  the  flame  of  the  world's 
:^iire  has  kindled   on   all  high  places.    The  night  is  long, 


TRACTICAL   GODLINESS.  101^ 

the  day  is  cold,  the  sky  is  cloudy.  Weeks  and  years  are 
multiplied  without  increase;  friends  falter,  and  pretended 
ones  give  way,  nevertheless  the  foundation  of  truth  stands 
sure,  having  the  seal  of  God's  prescience.  The  sign  of  its 
presence  among  the  people  of  God  is  Practical  Godliness. 
It  dwells  with  the  doers  of  the  word;  with  those  who  adorn 
the  doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour  in  all  things;  with  those  who 
walk  after  the  spirit  and  not  after  the  flesh;  who  put  off  the 
old  man  which  is  corrupt,  and  put  on  the  new  man;  who  walk 
blameless  in  all  the  ordinances  and  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  observing  the  precepts,  listening  to  the  exhortations, 
heeding  the  admonitions,  and  entertaining  the  threatenings, 
and  living  in  all  good  conscience  with  God  and  man. 

Many  preach  and  yet  do  not  adorn  their  doctrine  by  a  godly 
conversation  and  a  well  ordered  walk ;  many  hear  and  are  not 
doers  of  the  word;  many  profess  to  have  received  Christ  Jesus 
the  Lord,  and  yet  do  not  walk  in  him;  many  profess  to  love 
the  truth  and  yet  hate  the  way  thereof.  *     ,   .  : 

Terrible  are  thy  judgments,  0  thou  word  of  truth!  eternity 
is  thine,  thy  day  of  vengeance  draws  nigh,  when  thou  wilt 
make  bare  thy  right  arm  and  avenge  thyself: — will  send  forth 
thy  plagues,  pour  out  thy  vials  of  wrath,  utter  thy  thunders, 
and  kindle  the  devouring  flame  in  the  place  which  is  made 
deep  and  wide  for  the  solemn  reception  and  everlasting  pun- 
ishment of  all  thv  enemies. 


HEAVEN. 


In  conclusion,  this  subject  comes  up  most  appropriately,  as 
all  that  has  been  written  doctrinally,  experimentalh"  and  prac- 
tically, will  have  its  final  accomplishment  in  heaven. 

The  very  significant  truth,  that  the  christian  religion  cannot 
be  fully  developed  in  the  present  world,  shows  its  divine  origin? 
contradistinguished  from  the  sources  of  all  other  religions,  as 
do  its  sublim.e  tendencies  while  struggling  with  the  things  of 
time  and  earth.  It  looks  hopefully  and  anxiously  to  heaven 
for  promised  enlargement.  Thither  must  the  heavenly  plant 
be  removed,  by  the  same  divine  hand  that  has  planted,  water- 
ed and  nourished  it  here  for  a  season. 

As  our  doctrine  includes  no  moral  ladder  reaching  from 
earth  to  heaven,  nor  human  pov»'er,  by  means  of  which,  to 
ascend  the  one  ordained  by  the  Lord,  let  us  see  if  it  leads 
surely  and  safely  to  the  final  abode  of  the  just.  What  says 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  Christ?  Does  it  leave  heaven 
in  doubtful  attainm.ent  or  not?  The  response  may  be  found 
in  ihe  plain  words,  "  W/wm  He  justified,  iJiem  He  also  glorified." 

There  is  just  as  much  divine  certainty  of  our  glorification 
in  heaven,  after  our  justification,  as  there  was  of  our  justifica- 
tion after  our  calling,  or  of  our  calling,  following  in  the  order 
of  God's  predestination.  Who  can  attach  uncertainty  to  any 
of  these  divine  acts  without  imputing  it  to  God  Himself,  see- 
ing that  the  four  distinct  acts  are  all  performed  by  Himself? 

Our  doctrine  embraces  Christ  as  the  way  to  heaven,  through 
whom,  if  saints,  we  have  been  made  "meet  to  be  partakers  of 
the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light."  In  Christ,  there  are 
no  uncertainties.  Have  we  experimentally  within  us  the  wit- 
ness of  the  truth,  that  Christ  is  the  way,  the  truth  and  the 


202 


HEAVEN. 


life  unto  us?  If  so,  we  shall  never  fail  or  perish  by  the  way, 
but  follow  him  safely  and  practically  in  the  joyful  hope  of 
eternal  life. 

Were  we  to  look  at  the  things  in  the  way,  without  looking 
at  the  hand  that  is  pledged  to  remove  them,  we  would  be 
greatly  discouraged.  How  great  the  difficulties  between  our  pre- 
destin£|.tion  and  calling,  and  who  but  God  could  have  overcome 
them;  consider  for  a  moment  those  between  our  calling  and 
justification,  having  them  ever  in  remembrance,  and  then 
those  between  our  justification  and  glorification,  must  by 
faith  be  committed  to  the  same  divine  power,  though  they  in- 
clude an  unfinished  race,  death,  and  the  grave!  Christ  will 
carry  on  the  work  which  he  has.begun  ;  he  has  taken  away  the 
sting  of  death,  and  given  hope  to  the  grave  itself! 

The  soul's  desires  cannot  be  realized  in  this  world ;  they 
pertain  to  another  state  and  another  world.  Death  is  ours — 
its  dreaded  transforming  power  must  come,  and  work  its  fear- 
ful changes  before  we  can  enter  heaven.  As  the  regenerated 
soul  is  endowed  with  eternal  life,  its  destinies  extend  far  be- 
yond the  present  world,  time,  and  the  things  of  time.  Let  us 
then  learn  to  trust  the  Lord,  even  in  death,  believing  that  He 
who  has  hitherto  helped  us,  will  enable  us  by  his  grace  to 
overcome^this  last  enemy.  We  needs  must  go  hence  to  obtain 
deliverance  from  troubles  on  every  side,  and  the  enjoyment  of 
full  communion  with  Christ  and  saints.  For  these  we  have 
labored  long  here  in  vain,  and  have  fully  experienced  the 
great  truth  that  they  are  not  to  be  found  on  earth.  Then,  to 
die  is  gain;  to  ^o  hence  is  to  ascend  to  heaven. 

The  soul  can  exist  without  the  body,  but  the  body  cannot 
without  the  soul.  The  soul  cannot  die.  It  is  said,  it  is  true, 
to  be  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  but  that  only  implies  a  state 
of  sin  and  rebellion  against  God,  which  may  end  in  the  second 
death;  a  state  inconceivably  worse  than  the  first;  and  in 
which  it  will  be  acutely  and  painfully  alive  to  the  torments  of 
the  damned. 


HEAVEN. 


203 


It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  any  should  have  supposed 
that  the  soul,  after  the  death  of  the  body,  parses  into  a  state 
of  insensibility,  which  will  continue  until  the  morning  of  the 
resurrection.  The  vivification  of  the  soul  b\'  the  Holy  Spirit, 
does  not  seem  to  admit  of  such  a  state  aftervrards.  The 
scriptures  by  no  means  justify'  such  a  conclusion,  but  on  the 
contrary,  affirm  many  things  to  the  contrary.  And  still  more 
strange,  that  any  should  deny  the  distinctions  which  the  scrip- 
tures make  between  the  soul  and  body,  though  one  is  occa- 
sionally put  for  the  other.  Their  union  is  so  close  and  con- 
stant, that  the  idea  of  a  person  may  be  expressed  by  mention- 
ing either. 

Are  our  bodies  a  mere  refinement  and  enlargement  of  ani- 
mal matter,  or  are  they  endowed  with  a  moral,  reasonable, 
immaterial,  and  undying  essence,  which  is  the  source  of  all 
human  thought,  reason  and  judgment?  Does  man  differ  es- 
sentially from  brutes  only  in  his  material  organization,  or  from 
them  through  the  faculties  of  his  soul?  Which  is  the  most 
ennobling? 

The  renewed  soul  at  death  is  in  a  state  to  enter  heaven  ; 
and  if  a  thought  or  word  of  the  soul  can,  in  a  moment,  be 
transmitted  around  the  globe,  by  material  means,  why  may 
not  the  soul  itself,  at  death,  by  its  spiritual  affinities,  wing  its 
flight  instantly  to  heaven,  and  to  Him,  who  has  redeemed  and 
purified  it.  The  wise  man  says  at  death,  "Then  shall  the 
dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit  shall  return 
unto  God,  who  gave  it."  The  term  spirit  is  used  for  that  of 
soul  in  this  instance.  And  the  term,  soul,  is  sometimes  put 
for  the  spirit  of  life,  which  is  common  to  men  and  brutes. 
The  body,  at  death,  is  not  in  a  condition  to  be  received  into 
heaven.  According  to  God's  method,  it  must  go  down  to  the 
grave,  and  there  rest  until  he  shall  bid  it  arise.  He  who  said, 
'•Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light,"  will  in  the  mornino: 
of  the  resurrection  say:  Let  the  dead  arise,  and  the  dead  will 
arise  ! 

John  saw  in  his  sublime  vision  the  souls  of  Martyrs  under 


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HEAVEN. 


the  heavenly  altar;  and  heard  them  crying  unto  the  Lord  for 
vengeance  on  their  wicked  murderers.  He  says,  "I  saw  under 
the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  Word  of 
God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held:  And  they  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  how  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true, 
dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth !  And  white  robes  were  given  unto  everyone 
of  them,  and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should  rest  yet 
a  little  season,  until  their  fellow  servants,  and  also  their  breth- 
ren, that  should  be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be  fulfilled." 
Surely  this  holy  vision  of  the  Evangelist,  and  his  infallible 
record  of  it,  prove  the  existence  and  presence  of  souls  in 
heaven  while  in  a  separate  state,  or  "absent  from  the  body." 

Christ  makes  a  clear  distinction  between  the  soul  and  body 
in  the  following  words:  "Fear  not  them  which  kill  the  body, 
but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul:  but  rather  fear  Him,  who  is 
able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell." 

The  souls  that  John  saw  were  certainly  not  in  an  insensible 
state  in  their  graves,  but  under  the  altar;  they  were  alive,  and 
exercised  all  the  faculties  of  their  souls,  they  remembered  their 
sufferings  and  martyrdoms,  and  cried  unto  the  Lord  for  right- 
eous judgment  and  vengeance  upon  those  who  had  inflicted 
them.  What  a  fearful  and  solemn  thought  for  the  persecu- 
tors of  the  Lord's  people,  that  the  cry  for  righteous  judgment 
and  vengeance  has  been  raised  in  heaven  against  them  !  And 
white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them.  Th^se  bright 
and  heavenly  robes  with  which  they  were  adorned,  were  made 
w^hite,  not  in  the  blood  of  martyrdom,  but  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  They  sufl^ered  these  wrongs,  died  in  charity  towards  their 
murderers,  and  committed  their  cause  to  God,  to  whom  ven- 
geance belongs.  They  did  not  take  it  into  their  own  hands.  So, 
wdien  Babylon  falls,  there  will  be  joy  in  heaven.  "Rejoice 
over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets,  for 
God  hath  avenged  you  on  earth."  For  what  were  these  holy 
ones  killed?  might  have  been  the  enquiry  of  angels.  And 
how  great  v.^ould  have  been  their  surprise  to  learn,  that  it  was 


HEAVEN. 


205 


"for  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  hekl."  I 
A  better  representation  of  heaven  by  a  reference  to  earthly 
things  could  not  be  given  than  that  which  the  Evangelist  has 
recorded.  Speaking  of  the  heavenly  host  he  says,  '-These 
are  they  who  came  out  of  great  tribulation;  and  have  wash- 
ed their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  see  him  day  and 
night  in  his  temple:  and  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell 
among  them.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst 
any  more;  neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them  or  any  heat. 
For  the  Lamb  that  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  feed 
them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of  water:  and 
God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes."  These 
words  give  us  some  idea  of  the  blessed  state  of  the  redeemed 
in  heaven,  and  of  their  immunities  from  the  evils  of  this 
present  world. 

Further  the  Evangelist  in  rapturous  vision,  beheld  "a  great 
multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations  and 
kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stand  before  the  throne, 
and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in 
their  hands.  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  salvation 
to  our  God  who  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto  the  Lamb, 
blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanks  giving,  and  honor, 
and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our  God  forever  and  ever." 

The  saints  shall  dwell  forever  and  ever  with  God  in  the 
Holy  City,  New  Jerusalem — John  beheld  and  described  its  re- 
splendent walls,  gates  of  pearl,  streets  of  gold,  and  heav- 
enly light. 

Christian,  when  you  read  John's  "faithful  and  true"  record 
of  heaven  and  heavenly  things,  do  they  not  make  you  think 
that  you  are  "almost  there,  in  yonder  bright  abode."  Faith 
says,  at  least,  "a  better  world  is  in  view." 

These  things  should  be  in  closer  and  more  immediate  pros- 
pect than  we  are  wont  to  regard  them.  In  our  imaginations 
we  consider  them  too  distantly  and  obscurely.  They  who 
have  felt  the  pow-er  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  in  their  souls 


206 


HEAVEN. 


should  feel  that  they  are  more  immediately  and  directly  con- 
nected with  all  its  blessings. 

The  earnest  of  heavenly  joys  has  already  been  given  to 
every  renewed  heart.  Think,  christian!  of  your  happy  and 
joyful  state,  when  God,  The  Holy  Ghost,  shed  his  love,  joy  and 
peace  abroad  in  your  heart,  and  caused  you  to  rejoice  in  Christ, 
in  hope  of  the  pardon  of  your  sins  and  acceptance  with, 
tiie  Father  through  Him.  Recollect  the  amount  of  heav- 
enly joy  and  peace  youthen  felt,  which  was  but  an  earnest 
of  that  to  come,  as  was  formerly  the  earnest  sheaf  to  the 
whole  crop.  Pursue  this  doctrine  and  it  will  assure  you  that 
the  time  is  not  distant  when  your  capacity  for  enjoyment 
will  be  enlarged  more  than  a  thousand  fold,  for  the  same  love, 
joy,  and  peace  which  you  have  at  different  times  experienced 
in  this  life,  then  you  may  have  some  idea  of  the  joys  of  the 
redeemed  in  heaven.  And  along  with  all  this  bear  in  mind  the 
heavenly  image,  the  glorified  body,  crown  of  glory,  robe  of 
righeousness,  palm  of  victory,  and  the  title  of  king,  and  priest, 
and  the  presence  of  God,  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalum. 

And  the  doctrine  of  this  glorification  is,  whom  Hb  justified, 
them  He  also  glorified.  Its  work  begins  on  earth,  but  is  con- 
sumated  in  heaven — unfinished  here,  time  yields  it  up  to  Heav- 
en and  Eternity  for  all  its  promised  enlargements  and  crown- 
ing glories. 

'  ;  *•*  *  *  *  Then  will  come  angels 

Ordained  to  guide  the  embodied  spirit  home 

From  toilsome  life  to  never  ending  rest. 

Love  kindles  as  I  gaze,  I  feel  desires 

That  give  assurance  of  their  success, 
\ .  And  that  infused  from  heaven  must  thithor  tend." 


975.806      .   W339  164342 


